Transport Secretary Louise Haigh pleaded guilty to making a false report to police in 2014, admitting she initially lied about her work phone being stolen during a mugging. The incident occurred six months before she became an MP and has raised concerns about her honesty and integrity.
Louise Haigh, the Transport Secretary, pleaded guilty to making a false report to police in 2014. The incident occurred after she claimed her work phone was stolen during a mugging in 2013.
Haigh admitted that she initially told police the phone had been taken, but later discovered it had not been stolen. She reported the incident to the police and provided them with a list of items she believed were taken, including the work mobile phone.
According to Haigh’s statement, her solicitor advised her not to comment during the police interview, which she regrets following. The police then referred the matter to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), and Haigh appeared before magistrates’ court. She pleaded guilty to making a false report to police and received a discharge, the lowest possible outcome.
The incident occurred six months before Haigh became an MP in the 2015 election. At the time, she was serving as a Special Constable with the Metropolitan Police until 2011. She has been the Sheffield Heeley MP since 2015 and held various shadow ministerial and shadow cabinet roles before becoming Transport Secretary.
The chair of the Conservative Party, Nigel Huddleston, said that the prime minister has “serious questions” to answer about the matter. Haigh’s admission has raised concerns about her honesty and integrity as a public official.
