On February 23, 2026, UK politics was shaken by a growing controversy involving Labour minister Josh Simons, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer ordered an ethics investigation into Simons’ conduct. The move follows mounting allegations that Simons, during his tenure as director of the influential think tank Labour Together, commissioned a PR firm to investigate the backgrounds of journalists who had reported on the organization’s undisclosed donations. The unfolding saga has prompted fierce debate in Parliament and raised questions about press freedom, transparency, and the handling of political donations in Britain.
Labour Together, a think tank credited with helping Sir Keir Starmer secure the Labour leadership, found itself at the center of the storm after it emerged they had paid APCO Worldwide—an American public affairs firm—at least £30,000, with some reports putting the figure at £36,000, to investigate the “sourcing, funding, and origins” of a Sunday Times story about undeclared donations ahead of the 2024 general election, according to BBC News and other outlets. The journalists targeted included Gabriel Pogrund, Paul Holden, and American reporter Matt Taibbi.
The investigation by APCO Worldwide resulted in a 58-page report. Sources familiar with its contents, as reported by the Sunday Times and confirmed by the BBC, stated that the report included sensitive information about Gabriel Pogrund’s Jewish beliefs and ideological position. It also controversially claimed that Pogrund’s previous reporting, including stories about the royal family, “could be seen as destabilising to the UK and also in the interests of Russia’s strategic foreign policy objectives.” The report was reportedly circulated to key Labour Party members and even sent to GCHQ, the UK’s intelligence and security organization, though GCHQ concluded there was no case to answer.
Simons, who is now Labour MP for Makerfield and serves as a junior minister in the Cabinet Office, has consistently denied any intent to target journalists. He stated he had asked APCO Worldwide to investigate what he suspected was an illegal hack, describing claims that he sought to probe journalists’ backgrounds as “nonsense.” In a message that was accidentally sent to a Labour MPs’ group chat and later deleted, Simons revealed he had been assured by a senior Labour figure that the Cabinet Office’s propriety and ethics team “did find I had not broken the code,” but that the Prime Minister would nonetheless ask independent adviser Laurie Magnus to “look into” the case, with the aim of moving fast.
Despite Simons’ assurances, the controversy has only intensified. More than 20 Labour MPs have called for a “fully independent investigation,” highlighting the potential conflict of interest given Simons’ ministerial role within the Cabinet Office—the very department initially responsible for investigating the matter. Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones told Parliament that the Cabinet Office’s initial investigation had “established the facts” and reported them to Starmer, who subsequently referred the case to Sir Laurie Magnus, the independent adviser on ministerial standards. Jones emphasized the government’s commitment to press freedom, stating, “The government is committed to protecting freedom of the press and no journalist should ever be intimidated for trying to hold those in power to account.”
Yet, many MPs and observers remain unsatisfied. John McDonnell, secretary of the National Union of Journalists’ parliamentary group and former shadow chancellor, was particularly vocal. He argued in the Commons, “This at the moment does not pass the smell test,” and called for a broader inquiry into Labour Together’s activities. “It’s almost as though an organisation has bought a political party,” McDonnell said, referencing the scale of donations from Labour Together to various Labour figures. When Jones clarified that the independent adviser’s remit was limited to ministers and that any further questions about Labour Together were for its board, McDonnell shouted “whitewash” from his seat.
Rebecca Long Bailey, another Labour MP and chair of the NUJ’s group, echoed these concerns, insisting that “surveillance and political intimidation of journalists were not being adequately investigated.” She called for “an urgent independent and transparent inquiry into the activities of Labour Together and Apco” and advocated for stronger legislation to prevent corporate surveillance of journalists. Brian Leishman, Labour MP for Alloa and Grangemouth, criticized the situation as “some dark s***,” a remark he was asked to withdraw by the Speaker of the House. Ian Lavery, Labour MP for Blyth and Ashington, admitted to Parliament, “I’m not sure who Labour Together are, what they are, what their purpose is—I’ve got no idea whatsoever.”
On the other side of the aisle, Conservative shadow Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart was unequivocal in his condemnation. “This looks to all intents and purposes like a deliberate attempt to smear and intimidate journalists whose only crime had been to report that Labour Together had broken electoral law,” Burghart declared, as reported by BBC News. “As of today, it is very difficult to see how the minister’s position is tenable.” He further criticized the government for not referring the issue to the ethics adviser immediately and called for Simons to be suspended while the investigation is ongoing.
The think tank’s troubles are not new. Labour Together was fined £14,250 in September 2021 for late reporting of donations totaling £730,000 between 2017 and 2020, after the organization referred itself to the Electoral Commission. The current controversy has reignited scrutiny over the group’s funding and the transparency of political donations in the UK.
Minister Darren Jones, for his part, confirmed that any donations from Labour Together to MPs were declared in accordance with parliamentary rules. He clarified to the House, “I’ve not received one pound in cash from Labour Together, which was the suggestion from some members in the House. Instead, I received some hours of seconded time from staff whilst in opposition who were providing policy research to my role when I was in the shadow cabinet, which was normal at that time, whether in relation to Labour Together, trade unions or other organisations. And I’m very happy to confirm that those were declared in the proper way—there’s been no breach of the rules and I’m happy to declare them to the House today.”
As the ethics investigation proceeds, calls for a broader, more transparent inquiry into Labour Together’s conduct and the government’s response show no sign of abating. With the Prime Minister’s independent adviser on ministerial standards, Sir Laurie Magnus, now tasked with reviewing Simons’ actions, the findings—and their political fallout—are keenly anticipated across Westminster and beyond.
For now, the case has become a flashpoint in the debate over political ethics, press freedom, and the influence of money in UK politics, with all sides watching closely as the investigation unfolds.