Cabinet Office Investigation Launched into Labour Campaign Group's Alleged Targeting of Journalists
The Cabinet Office has initiated a formal investigation into allegations that Labour Together, a campaign group closely aligned with the Labour Party, hired lobbyists to probe journalists from The Sunday Times. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer confirmed the inquiry on Monday, stating it is "quite right" to examine the claims, which involve a payment of £36,000 to the US public affairs firm Apco.
Details of the Allegations and Journalist Targeting
According to The Sunday Times, Labour Together commissioned Apco to investigate the "backgrounds and motivations" of reporters Gabriel Pogrund, the Whitehall editor, and Harry Yorke, the deputy political editor. The journalists were labeled "persons of significant interest" after they wrote stories in 2024 about the thinktank's failure to declare over £700,000 in donations. Apco allegedly produced "deeply personal and false claims," suggesting the reporters might be involved in a Russian conspiracy or relying on emails hacked by the Kremlin.
Josh Simons, who was head of Labour Together at the time and is now a Cabinet Office minister, has denied the allegations, calling them "nonsense" in a social media post. He asserted that Apco was asked to look into a suspected illegal hack unrelated to UK journalists. However, the prime minister emphasized that he "didn't know anything" about the Apco investigation and stressed the need to establish the facts through the Cabinet Office probe.
Industry Reactions and Concerns Over Press Freedom
The allegations have sparked significant concern within the journalism industry. Dawn Alford, chief executive of the Society of Editors, warned of a potential "chilling effect," stating that journalists performing their democratic duties should not be treated as adversaries. She described the idea of intelligence-style inquiries into reporters as "profoundly troubling" and a dangerous precedent, regardless of the political party involved.
This incident follows previous regulatory issues for Labour Together, which was fined £14,250 in September 2021 for late reporting of donations totaling £730,000 between 2017 and 2020. The group had referred itself to the Electoral Commission, highlighting ongoing scrutiny of its financial practices.
Implications and Ongoing Developments
The investigation raises questions about the boundaries between political campaigning and press freedom, with implications for transparency and accountability in public life. As the Cabinet Office works to uncover the facts, stakeholders await further details on the scope and findings of the probe. Sky News has reached out to both Josh Simons and Apco for additional comments, underscoring the ongoing media interest in this developing story.
