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A former Cabinet Office minister from the Labour Party has publicly reflected on his resignation, describing himself as “naive” and expressing remorse in his first comprehensive interview since stepping down. Josh Simons left his ministerial position on 28 February following allegations linked to activities during his time leading a think tank prior to becoming an MP. The controversy centered on a report commissioned by Labour Together, which looked into the backgrounds of certain journalists.
Labour Together paid APCO Worldwide at least £30,000 to investigate the origins, funding, and sources of a Sunday Times article that accused the think tank of failing to properly declare donations ahead of the 2024 election. Simons has insisted he never intended to damage the reputations of the journalists involved, and in an interview with the BBC’s Newscast, he acknowledged that the episode was a significant learning experience. He explained that his initial concerns related to whether confidential information used in the Sunday Times story may have come from a hacked source, specifically the Electoral Commission.
The report prepared by APCO Worldwide controversially included details about journalist Gabriel Pogrund, such as his Jewish faith and alleged ideological positions. Additionally, it was claimed that some of Pogrund’s past reporting—particularly on the Royal Family—could be interpreted as destabilizing to the UK and potentially aligned with Russia’s strategic foreign policy interests. Simons has conceded that the firm went beyond the scope of their instructions during their investigation. He expressed regret in the Newscast that he was “naive” in the way he handled the situation and that there are things he would have done differently if given the chance.
Before Simons decided to resign, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer initiated an ethics investigation, which ultimately cleared him of any rule-breaking through the findings of ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus. However, Simons chose to step down, citing that the resulting controversy was a “distraction” for the government. He stated, “[Magnus] found that I hadn’t breached the code because I was being honest and truthful. But it’s still the case that I gave the impression that that’s what I’d intended, even though it wasn’t. And actually, I think it was right for me to take responsibility for that, to say, look, I’m so sorry this happened.” Upon his resignation, the Prime Minister expressed sadness and gratitude for Simons’s contributions during his time in office.
Separately, Simons commented on his previous role at Meta from 2018 to 2022 during the same BBC interview. He revealed that he had warned company executives repeatedly about the dangers posed by artificial intelligence technology. This statement came shortly after a jury in Los Angeles found Meta and Google guilty of deliberately designing addictive social media platforms—a verdict both companies intend to appeal. Simons expressed hope that the ruling would “terrify” tech leaders, explaining that AI systems were constructed to maximize engagement by triggering emotions such as shame, fear, anger, and guilt to keep users hooked. He criticized Meta for prioritizing profit over user wellbeing, highlighting that internal recommendations to mitigate AI harms were often disregarded.
The former minister also urged government action to restrict social media access for children under 16 and to ban phones in schools, while cautioning politicians not to overlook the broader societal issues related to mobile phone use
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