"Politicians from across the spectrum have said a minister should be sacked after a Guardian report that he had accused journalists of having links to Russian intelligence. Their comments came after an investigation showed that Josh Simons, who was running Labour Together at the time, had falsely concluded the journalists had obtained information about the thinktank from a Russian hack."
"Kevin Hollinrake, the chair of the Conservative party, said Simons should be suspended from office and an independent inquiry should be carried out, adding: The Cabinet Office cannot be left to mark its own homework. Hollinrake said the need to act was acutebecause Simons, in his role as a junior minister, had a ministerial responsibility for inquiries and whistleblowing across government at a time when questions were being raised about his conduct."
Josh Simons, a Cabinet Office minister and former Labour Together head, is facing calls to resign or be sacked after concluding—falsely—that journalists obtained thinktank information from a Russian hack. Politicians from multiple parties urged his suspension and an independent inquiry, citing his ministerial responsibility for inquiries and whistleblowing. Kevin Hollinrake said the Cabinet Office cannot be left to mark its own homework. Jon Trickett described the conduct as reminiscent of Nixon-era dirty tricks and serious misconduct. Emails from January and February 2024 show Simons and a subordinate contacted the National Cyber Security Centre and pressed officials to investigate journalists and asserted one journalist lived with the daughter of a former adviser suspected of links to Russia.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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