- Labour MP Josh Simons has resigned, stating he had "become a distraction from this government's important work".
- His resignation follows an ethics probe into allegations that Labour Together, a think tank he previously directed, employed a PR company to "smear" journalists.
- Simons denies the allegations, asserting that the PR company, APCO, was hired to address a leak of confidential information from Labour Together, and he was cleared by ethics advisor Sir Laurie Magnus.
- The controversy has been used by Labour MPs on the left to pressure the Prime Minister, with some requesting documents related to Labour Together's activities.
- In his resignation letter, Mr Simons said: “I welcome that Sir Laurie Magnus has cleared me of breaching the Ministerial Code. It was important to me to complete this process to prove that I behaved with integrity and that my public statements have been truthful and honest.”
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Labour minister Josh Simons resigns after probe into smear campaign against journalists
