Louise Haigh resigns as UK transport secretary after admitting phone offence

Louise Haigh has stepped down from her position as transport secretary following revelations about a fraud conviction related to falsely claiming that her work mobile phone was stolen in 2013.

In a letter to the prime minister released on Friday, she expressed her full dedication to our political agenda but feels that she can best contribute by backing you from outside the government.

"I regret having to depart in this way, but I am proud of our accomplishments. I will keep advocating every day for the residents of Sheffield Heeley, the people I was elected to serve, and I will make sure that we see our entire agenda carried out," she stated.

It was previously reported that she had been found guilty by the Camberwell Green magistrates and received a conditional discharge after admitting to an offense related to deceiving the police.

The event took place when Haigh was in her twenties and was robbed during a night out while employed at Aviva, an insurance company. She provided the police with a list of items she believed were taken from her purse, mistakenly including her work phone, which she thought had been stolen at the time.

Haigh received a replacement phone, but after she discovered her old work phone and powered it on, the police contacted her for an interview.

In a letter on Friday, Haigh expressed that becoming the youngest woman appointed to the cabinet stands out as one of her greatest accomplishments.

In reply to her resignation letter, Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated, "I appreciate everything you have contributed to advancing this government's bold transportation plans."

"You have made significant progress in returning our rail network to public ownership with the establishment of Great British Railways. Additionally, you have allocated £1 billion to support our essential bus services and have reduced expenses for drivers."

"I believe you have a significant impact yet to offer in the times ahead."

Haigh informed Starmer about her conviction when she joined his shadow cabinet for the first time, and sources indicate that he was understanding and supportive of her. Since the conviction is now considered spent, it no longer appears on her official record.

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