A bombshell has exploded in Labour ranks after it was revealed a party-linked think tank forked out £36,000 to a US lobby firm to smear Sunday Times reporters. The move sparked fury, with one Labour MP calling it “shameful” and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer demanding a Cabinet Office probe into alleged Russia smear tactics.
Labour Together Hired US Lobbyists to Target Journalists
Labour Together, once led by Josh Simons — now an MP and Cabinet Office Minister — commissioned APCO Worldwide to dig dirt on Sunday Times reporters Gabriel Pogrund and Harry Yorke. The journalists were investigating the think tank’s donations, triggering a controversial 58-page dossier that baselessly tried to link them to Russian interference.
Labour MP Stella Creasy blasted the tactic, saying:“Genuinely shocked to read this and what happened. Shameful.”
Spooks Get Pulled Into Dirty Politics
- The dossier accused the two reporters of Kremlin links — claims widely dismissed as nonsense.
- Sections reached intelligence agency GCHQ, which refused to open an investigation.
- GCHQ’s involvement raised serious questions about the dossier’s intent and legitimacy.
Starmer insists he was kept in the dark about the smear campaign. He said:
“There will be a Cabinet Office investigation into the allegations. I didn’t know anything about this investigation, and it absolutely needs to be looked into.”
Politically Toxic Fallout for Starmer and Labour
Labour Together’s former boss, Morgan McSweeney — Starmer’s ex-Chief of Staff who quit amid the Lord Mandelson scandal — links this scandal directly to the heart of Starmer’s leadership. The think tank was a key player in his rise, making these revelations a huge headache for Labour.
