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Louise Haigh, the Transport Secretary, has admitted to pleading guilty to making a false report to police for an offence relating to a mobile phone she claimed was stolen. She had told the police that her phone had been lost during a mugging on a night out in 2013 but later found that it had not been taken. Haigh said that it was a “genuine mistake” but she had been advised by a lawyer not to comment during a police interview. The case was then referred to the Crown Prosecution Service where Haigh was given a discharge which meant she was guilty of the offence but did not have a significant punishment imposed on her.
Whitehall sources informed the BBC that the transport secretary had declared her discharge on appointment to the shadow cabinet when the Labour Party was in opposition. Although details of the specific offence that Haigh was given a discharge for are yet to be confirmed, it is believed that she had received a conditional discharge. In 2015, Haigh was Sheffield Heeley MP and had held several roles within the shadow cabinet before becoming Transport Secretary when Labour won the election in July.
Haigh said in a statement that she had been mugged while on a night out in 2013 and reported it to the police. She had listed what she had believed had been taken, but some time later discovered that her mobile phone had not been taken and instead another phone had been issued to her. The original work device being switched on later had triggered police attention and she was advised by her solicitor not to comment during the interview. Haigh, under the advice of her solicitor, pleaded guilty even though the incident was a genuine mistake and she had not made any gain. The magistrates accepted her arguments and gave her a discharge.
The chair of the Conservative Party, Nigel Huddleston, has said that the prime minister needs to answer “serious questions” about the matter. Haigh has said that this was an honest mistake but politically it may cause a headache for the government in their efforts to lead the way for greater transparency
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