Louise Haigh RESIGNS after admitting to fraud conviction as Starmer Cabinet suffers first casualty

Haigh came under pressure last night after it was revealed she pleaded guilty to fraud after incorrectly telling police that a work mobile phone was stolen in a mugging incident in 2013.

The incident came just months before she entered the House of Commons for the first time after the 2015 General Election.

In her resignation letter this morning, Haigh wrote: "As you know, in 2013 I was mugged in London.

“As a 24-year-old woman, the experience was terrifying. In the immediate aftermath, I reported the incident to the police.

"I gave the police a list of my possessions that I believed had been stolen, including my work phone.

"Some time later, I discovered that the handset in question was still in my house.

"I should have immediately informed my employer and not doing so straight away was a mistake."

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Responding to Haigh’s resignation, the Prime Minister said: “Thank you for all you have done to deliver this Government’s ambitious transport agenda.”

He added: “I know you still have a huge contribution to make in the future.”

Before entering frontline politics, Haigh spent time as a special constable and worked as a public policy manager at Aviva.

She served as Transport Secretary following Labour’s landslide victory on July 4, previously serving as Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary and Shadow Policing Minister.

Haigh frequently drew on her experience in the Metropolitan Police when challenging the last Tory Government on the rising demands on officers.

She also appointed members of the board that oversees the British Transport Police.

The Sheffield Heeley MP put herself at odds with Starmer after Labour's victory over her decision to accuse P&O Ferries of being a "rogue operator".

Starmer publicly rebuked Haigh, with the Prime Minister saying: "[This is] not the view of the Government."

The 37-year-old also joined Labour MPs vociferously calling for Boris Johnson to quit over the Covid rule-breaking "partygate" scandal.

Responding to Haigh's resignation, a Conservative spokesman said: “Louise Haigh has done the right thing in resigning. It is clear she has failed to behave to the standards expected of an MP.

“In her resignation letter, she states that Keir Starmer was already aware of the fraud conviction, which raises questions as to why the Prime Minister appointed Ms Haigh to Cabinet with responsibility for a £30billion budget?

"The onus is now on Keir Starmer to explain this obvious failure of judgement to the British public.”