Investigation Ordered into Anti-Breitbart Censorship Campaign
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has initiated a probe into an anti-Breitbart censorship campaign group, amid allegations of attempting to smear a journalist by linking them falsely to Russia.
The Cabinet Office will look into Labor Together, a think tank founded by the former chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney. This organization played a significant role in Starmer’s ascent to power by forming a group aimed at censoring supporters of ex-Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn, as well as conservative media like Breitbart News.
New accusations against Labor Together surfaced, particularly regarding McSweeney’s role in appointing Sir Peter Mandelson, who has ties to Jeffrey Epstein, as ambassador to the U.S. Reports suggest that Labor Together hired the U.S. PR firm Apco Worldwide for at least £30,000 to investigate journalists critical of the organization.
According to findings reported by the Times, McSweeney failed to declare a significant £730,000 donation to Labor Together. The firm was criticized for allegedly accusing the independent media outlet Democracy for Sale of obtaining information from Russian and Chinese sources, who purportedly hacked Britain’s Electoral Commission. They are also said to have delved into the backgrounds of specific journalists.
On Monday, Starmer stated he was unaware of Operation APCO Worldwide, asserting that “It absolutely needs to be investigated,” according to the BBC.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall confirmed on Times Radio that the investigation would also focus on former director Josh Symonds, who led the think tank at that time and later became digital minister in Starmer’s government.
Kendall remarked that the Cabinet Office is set to examine the events surrounding the scandal, noting that a regulatory investigation into public service organizations has already occurred, emphasizing its importance.
Simmons expressed his shock at how APCO Worldwide exceeded its brief by including “unnecessary information” in its report. Journalist Gabriel Pogrund stated he requested the report be destroyed before it was shared with intelligence agencies.
In contrast, Conservative Party chairman Kevin Hollinrake criticized Labor’s actions, calling them indicative of an “alarming disregard for press freedom.” He raised concerns about whether senior officials, including those close to the Prime Minister, were aware of these acts.
The scrutiny on Labor unions intensified last year after a South African investigative journalist outlined the Labor Party’s claims. The group founded by McSweeney had established various left-leaning organizations, including Stop Funding Fake News and the Center for Countering Digital Hate, to carry out censorship against British leftists and American conservatives alike, including Breitbart News.
For instance, it was reported that CCDH lobbied Google in 2020 to exclude conservative websites from its advertising program. The NGO had previously defined its mission as “eradicating Mr. Musk’s Twitter.”
Moreover, in December, Imran Ahmed, the director of the Center to Counter Digital Hate, was sanctioned by the Trump administration over allegations of driving efforts to suppress American opinions they opposed.
