Official announcement from the UK government or Prime Minister's office

UK Transport Secretary Louise Haigh Resigns Over 2014 Mobile Phone Fraud Conviction

Nov 29, 2024, 06:24 AM

UK Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has resigned after admitting she pleaded guilty to an offence connected with misleading the police while she was a parliamentary candidate in 2014, six months before becoming an MP. Haigh incorrectly reported her work mobile phone as stolen in 2013 after being mugged but later found it at her home and failed to inform her employer, Aviva, or the police. She was investigated by Aviva and the police, appeared at Sheffield Magistrates' Court in 2014, and pleaded guilty to fraud by misrepresentation. In her resignation letter to the Prime Minister, Haigh stated that not informing her employer was a mistake and apologized for her actions. She resigned to prevent the issue from becoming a distraction for the government.