Politics · 28 February 2026
Josh Simons Resigns From Cabinet Despite Ethics Clearance
Roger Harris via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
Cabinet Office Minister Josh Simons has resigned from Keir Starmer's government following allegations that he orchestrated a smear campaign against journalists while leading centre-left think tank Labour Together. The Makerfield MP was accused of commissioning public affairs firm Apco Worldwide to investigate journalists probing £730,000 in donations to the organisation. Although the Prime Minister's independent ethics adviser cleared him of breaching the ministerial code, Simons resigned, stating the scandal had "become a distraction from this Government's important work."
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