Starmer Refers Simons to Adviser Over Journalist Probe

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has referred Cabinet Office Minister Josh Simons to his independent adviser on ministerial standards for an investigation into allegations that a Labour-aligned think tank, which Simons previously led, commissioned a probe into journalists' backgrounds. The referral, announced on Monday, follows an initial review by civil servants that found no breach of the ministerial code but recommended further scrutiny.

Simons, the Labour MP for Makerfield, served as director of Labour Together in 2023 when the organization reportedly paid the PR firm Apco Worldwide £36,000 to investigate reporters who had exposed the think tank's failure to declare more than £730,000 in donations received between 2017 and 2020. The Electoral Commission fined Labour Together £14,250 in September 2021 for late reporting of those funds after the group self-referred.

The 58-page report produced by Apco allegedly delved into the personal, religious, and political backgrounds of journalists from outlets including The Sunday Times and The Guardian, aiming to identify their sources and discredit their coverage of the donation discrepancies. Among the targets were Sunday Times reporters...