UK digital ID brief quietly moves to new minister

"He had commissioned a report from US public affairs outfit APCO Worldwide on journalists who had written critical articles about undeclared donations to the organization, which included material about Sunday Times journalist Gabriel Pogrund's Jewish beliefs and possible links to Russia. He also passed a version of the report to GCHQ's National Cyber Security Centre."

"On February 28, Magnus said Simons had not breached the ministerial code. Simons resigned anyway, telling prime minister Sir Keir Starmer that 'it is clear that my remaining in office has now become a distraction from this government's important work,' that he 'never sought to smear these newspaper reporters,' and what happened to Pogrund was 'a disgrace.'"

"Frith has taken Simons' ministerial roles at both the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Cabinet Office. At the time of publication, there is no mention of digital identity on the GOV.UK page on Frith's ministerial job."

Josh Simons resigned as minister responsible for the UK's digital identity card initiative after an investigation by the Cabinet Office and Prime Minister's ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus. Simons had commissioned a report from APCO Worldwide on journalists critical of undeclared donations to Labour Together think tank, which included sensitive information about Sunday Times journalist Gabriel Pogrund's Jewish beliefs and alleged Russian links. He also shared the report with GCHQ's National Cyber Security Centre. Although Magnus determined Simons had not breached the ministerial code on February 28, Simons resigned anyway, stating his continued presence distracted from government work. Labour MP James Frith has taken over Simons' roles at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Cabinet Office. The government's planned February consultation on digital identity has not yet been published.

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