Cabinet minister does not know ‘who knew what when’ over Louise Haigh

A Cabinet minister has said he does not know “who knew what when” in relation to the criminal conviction which saw Louise Haigh quit as transport secretary.

Ms Haigh resigned on Friday after it emerged she had pleaded guilty to a criminal offence related to incorrectly telling police that a work mobile phone was stolen in 2013.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden told Sky News he is “sorry to see” Ms Haigh go, describing her as a “good colleague”, and also said it is “not against the law” for somebody who has had a conviction to serve in Parliament.

Asked whether Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer knew the full story of her criminal conviction when Ms Haigh was appointed to the Cabinet, Mr McFadden told the Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips programme: “I don’t know who knew what when.

“What I know is that she made the decision to resign. We’ve got a new appointment, Heidi Alexander, in place, and that will mean that we continue with the agenda we’ve got, which is bringing the railways back into public ownership … and a good transport agenda going forward.”

He added: “It’s not against the law for someone who’s had some kind of conviction in the past – a conviction that’s spent, as I understand it – to serve in Parliament.

“The decision of who serves in the Government is, of course, one for any prime minister, but it’s not against the law … for that to happen.”

On Friday, Downing Street declined to say whether the Prime Minister knew about Ms Haigh’s criminal conviction and added that “further information” had come to light before her resignation.

Sir Keir’s spokesman repeatedly told journalists on Friday that Ms Haigh’s resignation came after new information emerged.

“Following further information emerging, the Prime Minister has accepted Louise Haigh’s resignation,” the spokesman said.

He did not confirm whether Sir Keir had known about the conviction or specify what the new information was.

Asked if the PM believed Ms Haigh was completely candid when she was appointed to his Cabinet, the spokesman said he would not “get into individual conversations”.

He repeated that ministers are expected to adhere to the Ministerial Code, but did not say how the code applied to Ms Haigh’s resignation.