Transport minister Louise Haigh steps down over 2013 mobile phone incident, citing focus on government’s work

Transport Minister Louise Haigh has resigned after admitting to misleading police over a stolen mobile phone in 2013. She stated her decision was to avoid distracting from the government's work, marking the first cabinet resignation under Prime Minister Keir Starmer's leadership.

Britain's transport minister, Louise Haigh, has resigned after pleading guilty to an offence in connection with misleading police over a work mobile phone she claimed was stolen in 2013, in another setback for Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Haigh said in a letter to Starmer dated Thursday, Nov. 28, that she had informed police she had lost the device during a "terrifying" mugging on a night out in 2013, only to later find the phone was still at her home. In her resignation letter, which was shared by Starmer's office early on Friday, Haigh stated she was stepping down as the issue "will inevitably be a distraction from delivering on the work of this government and the policies to which we are committed".

"I remain totally committed to our political project, but I now believe it will be best served by my supporting you from outside government," she said.

Starmer thanked Haigh for her service and for all she had done "to deliver this government's ambitious transport agenda".

Haigh is the first cabinet minister to resign from Starmer's government, which has seen its approval ratings fall since taking office in July. Ministers have faced criticism over the use of donations for clothing and gifts, as well as for increasing taxes on businesses and the wealthy in the government's first budget.

Haigh said the incident with the phone was a "genuine mistake" from which she "did not make any gain".

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