UK Transport Secretary Louise Haigh resigned on Friday following revelations of a past criminal offense before her election to Parliament. Her resignation is the first from Prime Minister Keir Starmer's cabinet since Labour's landslide victory in July.

The controversy stems from a 2013 incident in which Haigh falsely reported her work mobile phone as stolen after being mugged. She later found the phone but failed to inform the police. Haigh pleaded guilty to a fraud-related charge in 2014 and was discharged without further action.

In her resignation letter, Haigh, 37, said she wanted to avoid becoming a "distraction" to the government. "I remain totally committed to our political project, but I now believe it will be best served by my supporting you from outside government," she wrote. 

Starmer accepted her resignation, praising her contributions. "Louise made huge strides toward bringing the railways back into public ownership, a key commitment of this government," he said.

Rail reshuffle

Haigh played a pivotal role in advancing Labour's pledge to renationalize the country's ailing rail services, with plans recently approved by Parliament. She also oversaw progress on the controversial HS2 high-speed train line, which has faced delays and criticism over cost-cutting decisions by the previous Conservative government.

Downing Street confirmed that Heidi Alexander, a former deputy mayor of London for transport, will replace Haigh as transport secretary. Alexander had served as a junior minister in the justice ministry and brings significant experience from her time managing London's transport policies.

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Haigh's resignation comes amid heightened media scrutiny of Starmer's cabinet, following the October departure of his chief of staff, Sue Gray.

Renowned for her investigation into the "Partygate" scandal involving former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Gray resigned as Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Keir Starmer in October 2024 following reports of internal conflicts within Downing Street and controversies surrounding her leadership style and salary.