Transport Secretary Louise Haigh acknowledges 2014 guilty plea for criminal offence

Louise Haigh, the Transport Secretary, has confirmed that she previously entered a guilty plea to a criminal charge connected to a police inquiry concerning a mobile phone she had reported as stolen. According to a statement issued by Haigh, she informed law enforcement officials that her phone went missing during a mugging incident in 2013. However, she subsequently discovered the device had not been stolen. She characterized this as a “genuine mistake” but noted that her legal counsel had advised her “not to comment” during a police interview. She added that the police subsequently referred the matter to the Crown Prosecution Service. She stated that she admitted guilt to the charge of making a false report to the police at a magistrates’ court. This occurred approximately six months prior to her election as an MP in 2015, and she was given a discharge, which she described as the “lowest possible outcome”. A discharge represents a form of sentencing applied when an individual is found guilty of an offence, but the court opts against imposing a substantial penalty. Sources within Whitehall have informed the BBC that the Transport Secretary disclosed her discharge upon her appointment to the shadow cabinet, during the period when the Labour Party was in opposition. The BBC has been advised that Haigh was issued a conditional discharge, though the specific details of the offence have not been verifiable. In a separate statement, Haigh elaborated: “In 2013 I was mugged while on a night out. I was a young woman and the experience was terrifying.”I reported it to the police and gave them a list of what I believed had been taken – including a work mobile phone that had been issued by my employer.“Some time later I discovered that the mobile in question had not been taken. In the interim I had been issued with another work phone.“The original work device being switched on triggered police attention and I was asked to come in for questioning. “My solicitor advised me not to comment during that interview and I regret following that advice.“The police referred the matter to the CPS and I appeared before magistrates’ court.”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. The magistrates accepted all of these arguments and gave me the lowest possible outcome – a discharge – available.” Haigh has served as the Member of Parliament for Sheffield Heeley since 2015. Prior to her current role as transport secretary, which she assumed after Labour’s election victory in July, she occupied several shadow ministerial and shadow cabinet positions. Furthermore, she previously held the position of Special Constable, a volunteer police officer endowed with full arrest powers, and was affiliated with the Metropolitan Police until 2011. The Conservative Party chair stated that the prime minister faces “serious questions” regarding this issue. Nigel Huddleston commented in a statement: “These are extremely concerning revelations about the person responsible for managing £30bn of taxpayers’ money.” Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.