Transport secretary Louise Haigh quits after fraud offence revealed

The brand new transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, returned to the Commons for a second stint as an MP in July this 12 months after standing down in 2018.

She spent greater than three years as London’s deputy mayor for transport below Sadiq Khan and was additionally deputy head of Transport for London.

Information of Haigh’s conviction emerged on Thursday night, in stories by the Instances and Sky Information.

Haigh issued a press release giving her model of the 2013 incident, which occurred when she was working as a public coverage supervisor for insurance coverage firm Aviva.

She had reported a “terrifying” mugging in London to police and instructed them her work cell phone had been amongst gadgets stolen, however later discovered the handset in a drawer at residence.

Turning on the cellphone “triggered police consideration”, she stated, she was known as in for questioning and suggested to not remark by her solicitor, earlier than the matter was taken to magistrates’ court docket for making a a false report back to police.

Haigh stated: “Underneath the recommendation of my solicitor I pleaded responsible – regardless of the actual fact this was a real mistake from which I didn’t make any achieve.”

Magistrates handed down a conditional discharge – the “lowest attainable end result” – six months earlier than changing into an MP within the 2015 normal election.

Nevertheless, the Instances claims this row pertains to multiple cell phone being stolen or going lacking.

The BBC understands Haigh was unaware of any investigation by her former employer, Aviva, involving multiple cell phone, as reported by the newspaper.

Aviva shouldn’t be commenting on the story.