Louise Haigh steps down over a past conviction; Heidi Alexander takes charge amidst questions about labour leadership’s judgment

Heidi Alexander has been appointed as the UK’s new transport secretary following the resignation of Louise Haigh on Friday morning. Haigh, the youngest member of Sir Keir Starmer’s cabinet, stepped down after admitting to a decade-old conviction for falsely reporting a stolen mobile phone.

The incident, which occurred in 2013, involved Haigh falsely claiming her phone was stolen during a night out. She later realized the mistake when the phone was reactivated. Legal proceedings resulted in her conviction after she followed her solicitor’s advice to remain silent during police questioning.

Downing Street announced that Louise Haigh resignation was due to “new information” about a past incident but did not clarify if Starmer knew of her conviction when appointing her to his shadow cabinet in 2020. A source close to Haigh confirmed that Starmer was informed at the time and expressed empathy toward her situation.

In her resignation letter, Haigh described the issue as a “genuine mistake” and expressed regret for the distraction it could cause to the government’s work. Despite stepping down, she vowed to continue serving her Sheffield Heeley constituents and supporting Labour’s agenda.

Heidi Alexander, the MP for Swindon South, replaces Haigh as transport secretary. Alexander, a former deputy mayor for transport in London and shadow health secretary under Jeremy Corbyn, brings extensive experience to the role. She aims to build on Haigh’s legacy, which included renationalizing parts of the rail system and securing significant investments for public transport and infrastructure.

Alexander’s appointment comes amidst growing scrutiny over Starmer’s decision-making, particularly regarding the initial inclusion of Haigh in his cabinet despite her disclosed conviction.