Calls for Minister’s Resignation Over Allegations Against Journalists
A left-wing government minister is under pressure to resign after allegations emerged that he misused his position at an anti-Breitbart think tank to level false accusations of collusion with Russia against journalists who reported on his organization, Labor Together.
Josh Symonds, who serves as the Labor MP for Makerfield and a cabinet secretary, stands accused of running a smear campaign against multiple journalists. The targets of Mr. Symonds reportedly included those who highlighted his failure to disclose £730,000 in donations received between 2017 and 2020, linked to Morgan McSweeney, the chief architect behind Starmer’s ascent to leadership and his chief of staff until recently.
In response to reports exposing these undisclosed donations, Symonds, who was leading Labor Together at that time, is said to have engaged the services of the American PR firm Apco Worldwide to probe into the “background and motives” of journalists who unveiled violations of Electoral Commission rules by his think tank.
According to a report, Symonds personally informed British intelligence about claims made by the PR agency, which sought to connect journalists to the Kremlin. The left-leaning publication stated they had accessed emails exchanged between Mr. Symonds, the then-deputy of Labor Together, and officials from the National Cyber Security Center at GCHQ.
The correspondence allegedly suggested that journalists Harry Yorke and Gabriel Poglund, who collaborated with South African reporter Paul Holden, argued that Labor Together, and Russia by extension, were part of a coordinated strategy to undermine Starmer and McSweeney. Symonds reportedly mentioned in an email that these revelations could implicate “individuals known to be involved in a pro-Kremlin propaganda network with ties to Russian intelligence.”
However, the publication stated, “There is no credible evidence linking any of the journalists to a pro-Russian movement, nor is there substantial proof that their article, released in November 2023, was anything other than a public interest report regarding election law violations by a notable think tank.”
Intelligence officials are said to have dismissed Apco’s claims, informing Mr. Symonds that they would not pursue investigations into the journalists’ supposed connections with Russia, yet the then-Labor leader apparently attempted to circulate these allegations to the British media. Holden had disclosed details about the think tank’s failure to report its funding sources, which he alleged were initially linked to Russian hackers.
Later, GCHQ determined that it was China, not Russia, responsible for hacking the Electoral Commission. The publication also reported that Mr. Holden’s sources pointed to a leak from a whistleblower within Labor Together instead of a hack.
Holden further elaborated on the misleading tactics employed by Labor Together, which he accused of suppressing groups like Stop Funding Fake News and the Center for Countering Digital Hate. These organizations had undertaken advertiser boycotts aimed at cutting off financial support from unfriendly news outlets.
South African journalists noted that the initiative initially aimed at far-left media outlets, particularly those backing former Labor Party chief Jeremy Corbyn, who had been ousted from the party once led by McSweeney and Starmer.
However, Holden also claimed that McSweeney and his associates’ campaign engaged in aggressive actions against dissenting media and free speech across both the UK and the US, including attempts to “cancel” outlets that presented favorable coverage of Brexit leader Nigel Farage and to obstruct Breitbart from receiving advertising from the UK Cabinet Office.
So far, McSweeney has not addressed the ongoing controversy related to Labor Together, having resigned from his position as Prime Minister Starmer’s chief of staff earlier this month. His resignation occurred amidst advice to Peter Mandelson, an experienced Labor strategist accused of having ties with the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein even after Epstein’s prior convictions.
Current reports suggest that McSweeney’s successor is under scrutiny, leading to demands for Symonds’ dismissal. Conservative Party Chairman Kevin Hollinrake has asserted that, at the minimum, Mr. Symonds should be suspended pending an investigation. His conduct raises significant questions, particularly as he bears “ministerial responsibility for government-wide investigations and whistleblowing.”
