Sheffield MP Louise Haigh resigns as Transport Secretary amid 2014 phone offence

Sheffield Heeley MP Louise Haigh has resigned as Transport Secretary after she admitted pleading guilty to a criminal offence relating to incorrectly reporting her stolen mobile phone to police in 2013.

It was revealed on Thursday that Haigh had told police she believed her work mobile phone was one of the items to be stolen in a mugging on a night out, but “some time later” discovered that it was still in her house.

In a statement issued yesterday, she said: “The police referred the matter to the CPS and I appeared before Southwark magistrates. Under the advice of my solicitor I pleaded guilty – despite the fact this was a genuine mistake from which I did not make any gain.”

She added that the magistrates then gave her “the lowest possible outcome available” for the criminal offence conviction in 2014 – a discharge.

Having served in the Labour shadow cabinet since 2020, Haigh was appointed Secretary of State for Transport following Labour’s general election win in July.

In a resignation letter to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer this morning, she said the role had been “one of the proudest achievements” of her life and that she was “sorry to leave under the circumstances.”

“I appreciate that whatever the facts of the matter, this issue will inevitably be a distraction from delivering on the work of this government and on the policies to which we are both committed.”

The Prime Minister responded thanking her for work on the Government’s “ambitious transport agenda” and for “huge strides” made towards bringing rail services back into public ownership.

Louise Haigh was first elected as MP for Sheffield Heeley in 2015, and was re-elected for a third time with a majority of 15,304 in this year’s general election.

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She has stated that she intends to continue as the constituency’s MP from the backbenches.

“I will continue to fight every day for the people of Sheffield Heeley who I was first and foremost elected to represent and to ensure that the rest of our programme is delivered in full.”

Featured image: Louise Haigh ©House of Commons/Laurie Noble