Transport Secretary Louise Haigh Resigns After Admitting Fraud Conviction for Misleading Police in 2014

Nov 29, 2024, 06:06 AM

UK Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has resigned after admitting to a prior conviction for fraud by misrepresentation connected to misleading the police while she was a parliamentary candidate in 2014. In 2013, Haigh reported her work mobile phone stolen following a mugging but later found the device and failed to inform her employer, insurance firm Aviva, or the police. An internal investigation by Aviva led to her pleading guilty to fraud by misrepresentation in 2014, before she became an MP. Haigh denies allegations that she filed a false report to obtain a newer work phone. In her resignation letter, she stated that her failure to notify Aviva upon finding the phone was a mistake and expressed regret over the incident. She added that the issue would inevitably be a distraction from delivering on the work of the government and the policies to which they are committed.