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Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has admitted pleading guilty to an offence connected with misleading the police while a parliamentary candidate in 2014, Sky News can reveal.

Sky News understands Ms Haigh appeared at Camberwell Green Magistrates’ Court six months before the 2015 general election, after making a false report to officers that her mobile phone had been stolen.

Ms Haigh said she was “mugged while on a night out” in 2013. She then reported the incident to the police and gave officers a list of items she believed had been taken – including a work mobile phone.

In a statement to Sky News, the transport secretary said she discovered “some time later” that “the mobile in question had not been taken”.

She added: “In the interim, I had been issued with another work phone.”

The transport secretary said: “The original work device being switched on triggered police attention and I was asked to come in for questioning.

“My solicitor advised me not to comment during that interview and I regret following that advice.

“The police referred the matter to the CPS and I appeared before Southwark magistrates.”

Ms Haigh continued: “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.

“The magistrates accepted all of these arguments and gave me the lowest possible outcome (a discharge) available.”

It’s understood her conviction is now classified as ‘spent’.

However, three separate sources claimed she made the false report to benefit personally, with two of the sources alleging she wanted a more modern work handset that was being rolled out to her colleagues at the time.

The now cabinet minister had been working as a public policy manager at Aviva, but two sources said she lost her job at the insurance firm because of the incident.

Her government profile states she left this role in 2015 before becoming the MP for Sheffield Heeley at that year’s general election.

Sky News understands the incident was disclosed in full when Ms Haigh was appointed to the shadow cabinet.

In the statement given to Sky News, the transport secretary said: “I was a young woman and the experience was terrifying.”

Conservative Party Chairman Nigel Huddleston told Sky News the revelations are “extremely concerning”.

He added: “Keir Starmer has serious questions to answer regarding what he knew and when about the person he appointed as transport secretary admitting to having misled the police.”

Before entering politics, the transport secretary was a special constable in the Metropolitan Police – serving between 2009 and 2011 in the South London Borough of Lambeth, close to where she was convicted several years later.

Pic: Louise Haigh was a special constable from 2009-2011
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Louise Haigh was a special constable from 2009-2011. Pic: www.louisehaigh.org.uk

She was appointed shadow policing minister by Jeremy Corbyn in 2017 and frequently drew on her experience in the Met when challenging the Tory government on the rising demands on officers.

As transport secretary, Ms Haigh appoints members of the board that oversees the British Transport Police.

In 2019 she said that Boris Johnson had “deceived the police” and committed a “serious breach of trust” over claims he politicised serving officers during a speech in West Yorkshire.

Sir Keir Starmer promoted the Sheffield MP to shadow Northern Ireland secretary in 2020 before moving her to shadow transport secretary in 2021.

In this brief she has been an outspoken critic of the mass sacking of 800 workers by P&O Ferries in 2022.

In October, while transport secretary, she accused P&O of being a “rogue operator” and called for a boycott of its services.

The comments caused the firm’s Dubai-based owner to review a planned £1bn UK port investment – something that was re-confirmed after ministers held urgent talks with the company.

Louise Haigh has called for ASLEF and LNER to engage in talks
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Louise Haigh has been the Member of Parliament for Sheffield Heeley since 2015

But she was publicly rebuked by Sir Keir who said her opinions were “not the view of the government”.

With connections to former Downing Street chief of staff Sue Gray, there has been speculation her cabinet role could be under threat in a future reshuffle.

Ms Gray’s son, Labour MP Liam Conlon, is Ms Haigh’s parliamentary private secretary and acts as her “eyes and ears” in parliament, while another of her former employees also worked for the former chief of staff before she was sacked after losing a power struggle within Number 10.

As transport secretary, Ms Haigh was one of a handful of cabinet ministers who complained to the Treasury about impending cuts in the budget.

She is considered to be one of the more left-wing members of the cabinet and has vowed to “rip up the roots of Thatcherism” with her plans for rail and bus reform.

In 2015, Ms Haigh was one of a number of Labour MPs to nominate Mr Corbyn for leader – a decision she later said she regretted.

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Farage has ‘grabbed the mic’ to dominate media agenda, says Harman

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Farage has 'grabbed the mic' to dominate media agenda, says Harman

Nigel Farage has successfully exploited the Commons recess to “grab the mic” and “dominate” the agenda, Harriet Harman has said.

Speaking on Sky News’ Electoral Dysfunction podcast, the Labour peer said that the Reform UK leader has been able to “get his voice heard” while government was not in “full swing”.

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Mr Farage used a speech this week to set himself, rather than Kemi Badenoch’s Tories, up as the main opposition to Sir Keir Starmer at the next election.

The prime minister responded on Thursday with a speech attacking the Clacton MP.

Baroness Harman said: “It’s slightly different between opposition and government because in government, the ministers have to be there the whole time.

“They’ve got to be putting legislation through and they kind of hold the mic.

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“They can dominate the news media with the announcements they’re making and with the bills they’re introducing, and it’s quite hard for the opposition to get a hearing whilst the government is in full swing.

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‘Big cuts’ to fund other Reform UK policies

“What we used to do when we were in opposition before 1997 is that as soon as there was a bank holiday and the House was not sitting, as soon as the half-term or the summer recess, we would be on an absolute war footing and dominate the airwaves because that was our opportunity.

“And I think that’s a bit of what Farage has done this week,” Harman added.

“Basically, Farage can dominate the media agenda.”

She went on: “He’s kind of stepped forward, and he’s using this moment of the House not sitting in order to actually get his voice heard.

“It’s sensible for the opposition to take the opportunity of when the House is not sitting to kind of grab the mic and that is what Nigel Farage has done.”

But Baroness Harman said it “doesn’t seem to be what Kemi Badenoch’s doing”.

She explained that the embattled leader “doesn’t seem to be grabbing the mic like Nigel Farage has” during recess, and added that “there’s greater opportunity for the opposition”.

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Crypto staking on proof-of-stake blockchains not a security: SEC staff

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Crypto staking on proof-of-stake blockchains not a security: SEC staff

Crypto staking on proof-of-stake blockchains not a security: SEC staff

SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce has backed the guidance, saying it gives clarity to stakers, while her peer Caroline Crenshaw claims it ignores existing laws.

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NYC cops linked to crypto torture case put on modified duties: Report

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NYC cops linked to crypto torture case put on modified duties: Report

NYC cops linked to crypto torture case put on modified duties: Report

Two NYPD detectives allegedly linked to a crypto torture case in Manhattan have been placed on modified duties as the investigation unfolds, according to multiple reports.

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