Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has a conviction for fraud by misrepresentation after she wrongly told officers her work mobile phone had been stolen in 2013, it emerged tonight.
The cabinet minister told police she had been ‘mugged’ during a night out 11 years ago and had a number of items taken from her handbag, including her work mobile. However the device was later discovered not to have been taken.
She was subsequently issued with a new phone, but police called her in for questioning after an internal investigation by insurance firm Aviva, where Ms Haigh worked at the time, The Times reports.
Ms Haigh appeared before Camberwell Green Magistrates Court after officers referred her case to the Crown Prosecution Service.
She pleaded guilty to fraud by misrepresentation and said that she regretted remaining silent on advice from a solicitor while being interviewed by officers who detected her work phone being switched on.
The incident allegedly cost the now Labour MP her job as a public policy manager at Aviva.
But despite her insisting this was a ‘genuine mistake’, at least two sources suggest the Transport Secretary wanted to be upgraded to a newer phone being rolled out in the company at the time.
A source close to Ms Haigh, 37, – who is the youngest member of the cabinet – said that was ‘absolute nonsense’ and it was an honest mistake.
‘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’, she told Sky News.
She added: ‘I was a young woman and the experience was terrifying.’
Ms Haigh is understood to have disclosed the conviction – which is now spent – to Keir Starmer when she was appointed to his shadow cabinet.
The politician previously served for two years as special constable with the Metropolitan Police in the Borough of Lambeth between 2009 and 2011.
After being elected to represent Sheffield Heeley in 2015, Ms Haigh served in Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinet, including as Shadow Policing Minister.
Despite supporting Mr Corbyn in the 2015 Labour leadership contest, Ms Haigh said she later regretted doing so.
She chaired Lisa Nandy’s leadership bid in 2020 and backed Angela Rayner for the deputy position.
In 2021 she was appointed as Shadow Transport Secretary by Sir Keir Starmer.
As Transport Secretary, she has become known for her outspoken criticism of P&O Ferries, including encouraging viewers to join her in boycotting the ‘rogue operator’, following its decision to sack 800 seafarers.
She was publicly rebuked by the Prime Minister, who insisted this was not the position of the Government.
Ms Haigh also vowed to ‘rip up the roots of Thatcherism’ on bus and rail reform.