The unanswered questions for Keir Starmer after Louise Haigh’s brutal exit

Opinion

Chief Political Commentator

The now ex-Transport Secretary’s swift resignation raises more questions than answers for the Prime Minister, including whether there will now be a Cabinet reshuffle. 

November 29, 2024 11:06 am

Westminster awoke to the news of Louise Haigh’s early-morning resignation with a sense of bafflement.

Her departure, less than four months into the Cabinet, raised questions and eyebrows. Reports late Thursday revealed she was convicted of fraud after she incorrectly told police that a work mobile phone was stolen in 2013.

But there are some immediate questions.

First at how minor the offence was supposed to have been – Haigh has admitted telling police she had lost her work mobile phone in a mugging, but later found it had not been taken and was given a conditional discharge by magistrates. Does this really mean she has to resign from government?

Secondly, that she declared the matter on entering the shadow Cabinet in 2020. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer would surely have known about the issue when he appointed his top team, so why is this suddenly an issue?

If Starmer did know when he appointed her, is his judgement in question as well, having made a virtue of attacking the Conservatives during Partygate, saying “lawbreakers can’t be lawmakers”? Haigh, too, was a key attack dog during that time, taking former Prime Minister Boris Johnson to task.

Westminster Kremlinologists had believed Haigh would be moved in the next reshuffle after she was publicly rebuked by Starmer. Last month she urged the public to boycott “rogue operator” P&O ferries for its treatment of staff. In response its parent operation DP World threatened to boycott a major government investment summit, forcing other ministers to grovel.

She’s also faced criticism from the Tories after settling a pay dispute with rail drivers without significantly altering their outdated terms.

But for Haigh to have abruptly departed over something that appears relatively minor has opened up more questions than answers.

Firstly, were more details about to appear?

At the time of the now-spent offence, the police were reportedly supplied with details of more than one instance that had been looked into by Haigh’s then employer, the insurers Aviva, but the criminal charge only related to one phone. Did the PM know this?

Secondly, who had the animus to release the story about the mobile phone? And why now? Had Starmer wanted to keep her in post he could have shrugged off such a minor, historic and spent offence.

Also, does the PM intend to hold a reshuffle shortly? Will it be wider than just replacing the Transport Secretary and does it form part of his plans for another reset?

The suggestion from senior government sources is that Haigh will be replaced shortly, even today. Will her replacement be someone less to the left of the party?

And finally, in reply to her resignation letter Starmer thanked Haigh for her work. He wrote: “I know you still have a huge contribution to make in the future.” That raises a question over whether Haigh been promised a return at a future date?

Starmer has a whole bunch of questions to answer.