A Labour minister is now under investigation after a group linked to Sir Keir Starmer was accused of smearing journalists, the Prime Minister has confirmed.
Sir Keir, who poached Morgan McSweeney from Labour Together while serving as Leader of the Opposition, denied having knowledge of the think tank paying a public affairs firm £36,000 to investigate the “backgrounds and motivations” of journalists researching the sources of its funding.
The final report falsely suggested that reporters were part of a Russian conspiracy.
Makerfield MP Josh Simons, who served as director of Labour Together in 2023, commissioned Apco to conduct its 48-page report.
The report, codenamed Operation Cannon, was completed in January 2024 before being handed to senior Labour officials who sat on the think tank’s board.
Sir Keir confirmed a Cabinet Office probe would now investigate the allegations against Mr Simons and his former colleagues at Labour Together.
The Prime Minister said: “There will be a Cabinet Office investigation into the allegations, and quite right too. And so that is already in place.
“I didn’t know anything about this investigation. And it absolutely needs to be looked into, so the Cabinet Office will be establishing the facts.”
Sir Keir Starmer confirmed an investigation will look into Labour Together
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However, GB News understands that the investigation’s scope is somewhat limited by the events preceding Sir Keir’s victory in the 2024 General Election.
The Prime Minister is also said to have full confidence in Mr Simons, who was appointed as a Technology Minister in January 2026.
Labour rebels have put pressure on Sir Keir to provide proof he was not complicit in the investigation.
Ex-Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell demanded that any links between the think tank and the Sir Keir’s Government must be the subject of an inquiry.
Makerfield MP Josh Simons was appointed as a Cabinet Office Minister in Sir Keir Starmer’s September reshuffle | PARLIAMENT TV
Meanwhile, the SNP has called for Sir Keir to sack Mr Simons and requested information about what the Prime Minister knew about the claims before appointing the Makerfield MP as a minister.
Tory Party Chairman Kevin Hollinrake also penned a letter to his Labour counterpart Anna Turley, requesting an independent investigation to uncover the “unredacted facts about this latest scandal”.
New revelations about Labour Together have rocked No10 after Sir Keir was already under pressure over scandals involving Lord Mandelson and Lord Doyle.
The Prime Minister vowed to carry out yet another “reset”, with Mr McSweeney leaving Downing Street over his involvement in the appointment of Lord Mandelson as the UK’s Ambassador to the US.
The PM denied knowledge of Labour Together’s investigation
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GETTYHowever, the scandal involving Labour Together centres around 10 pages on Gabriel Pogrund and Harry Yorke.
The Sunday Times said the claims described the findings as “deeply personal and fake claims”.
Ben Taylor, the editor of the Sunday Times, said Labour Together’s investigation into the sourcing of the newspaper’s report “went way too far”.
He also accused Apco of including “extraordinary details” that were “frankly lies” about Mr Pogrund.
Lord Mandelson will not return to the House of Lords | GETTY
Apco ramped up its investigation after the Sunday Times revealed that Labour Together had failed to declare £730,000 of donations between 2017 and 2020.
Mr Simons told the Sunday Times: “I was surprised and shocked to read the report extended beyond the contract by including unnecessary information on Gabriel Pogrund.
“I asked for this information to be removed before passing the report to GCHQ.
“No other British journalists were investigated in any document I or Labour Together ever received.”