Keir Starmer’s ethics watchdog to probe minister over focusing on of journalists

Keir Starmer has asked his ethics adviser to investigate a top minister accused of ordering a probe into the background of journalists while role running a Labour-backing thinktank.

Cabinet Office minister Josh Simons has faced questions over claims that Labour Together, a think tank he ran before entering government, paid PR firm Apco Worldwide £36,000 to look into journalists, including Gabriel Pogrund and Harry Yorke from the Sunday Times.

Darren Jones, the Chief Secretary to the PM, said Mr Starmer had asked civil servants in the Cabinet Office’s propriety and ethics team to establish the facts last week.

He said: “That work has now concluded and the facts have been reported to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister has been advised that the matter should be referred now to the independent adviser on ministerial standards, which the Prime Minister has done today.”

Earlier, Downing Street said Mr Starmer had confidence in Mr Simons, the MP for Makerfield.

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