A conviction for fraud from ten years ago has cost British Transport Minister Louise Haigh her position.
Haigh resigned after it emerged that she had been convicted a decade ago for falsely claiming her phone had been stolen.
In a letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Haigh expressed her ongoing commitment to their political agenda but acknowledged that her presence in government might no longer be beneficial. She stated:
“I remain fully dedicated to our shared political project, but I now believe I can best serve it from outside the government. Regardless of the details of the case, I understand that this issue will inevitably become a distraction from the important work of this government and the policies we are collectively committed to.”
The resignation came just hours after Sky News and The Times reported that the 37-year-old had been charged with fraud for falsely claiming her work phone was stolen during a robbery in 2013.
Haigh later admitted that she had mistakenly included the phone among the stolen items. When she found the phone and turned it back on, police summoned her for questioning.
She pleaded guilty to fraud by misrepresentation and was given a conditional discharge.
Haigh, who has represented a constituency in Sheffield, northern England, in Parliament since 2015, was appointed to the key transport role after Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s centre-left Labour Party won the elections in July. Starmer quickly replaced her with 49-year-old Heidi Alexander.
CREATED by:
“KORÇA BOOM”
