Labour Thinktank Accused of Hiring PR Firm to Investigate Journalists
A prominent Labour-aligned thinktank, previously managed by key figures in the current government, is facing serious allegations that it commissioned a public relations firm to investigate journalists who were scrutinising its financial affairs. Labour Together, which was once directed by Morgan McSweeney, now Prime Minister Keir Starmer's chief of staff, and later by Cabinet Office minister Josh Simons, reportedly hired APCO Worldwide to probe reporters from major outlets including the Guardian and the Sunday Times.
Allegations of Targeting Journalists and Sources
According to claims published in the Substack newsletter Democracy for Sale, the thinktank paid APCO to identify sources behind stories about its funding. The allegations suggest that internal reports prepared by APCO named specific journalists as "significant persons of interest" and discussed potential "leverage" over them. Among those named were Sunday Times reporters Gabriel Pogrund and Harry Yorke, Guardian journalist Henry Dyer, and John McEvoy of Declassified.
Democracy for Sale reports that it has seen documents indicating Labour Together paid at least £30,000 for these services. The briefings reportedly explored possible sources for the Sunday Times' investigation, including speculation about leaks from the Electoral Commission or information obtained from a 2023 hack of the commission's systems.
Background of Funding Controversies
The alleged investigation followed a Sunday Times report which claimed that Morgan McSweeney had failed to declare more than £700,000 in donations to Labour Together between 2017 and 2020. This money was said to have funded polling and campaigning activities that supported Keir Starmer's rise to the Labour leadership. In September 2021, the thinktank was fined £14,250 by the Electoral Commission for late reporting of £740,000 in donations, after it self-reported failures to declare the funds in 2020.
Morgan McSweeney left his role at Labour Together in 2020 when he joined Keir Starmer's team, but he remained closely associated with the thinktank, which was a key ally during Starmer's successful election campaign in 2024. Josh Simons was serving as director of Labour Together when APCO was reportedly engaged.
Political Fallout and Denials
Sources close to McSweeney have stated that he was not involved in the decision to hire APCO, emphasising that it was a matter for Labour Together itself. The Guardian has approached Simons, Labour Together, the Labour Party, and APCO for comment. According to Democracy for Sale, all parties declined to comment on the record.
These allegations emerge amid mounting pressure on McSweeney over his role in Downing Street, particularly following new disclosures about Peter Mandelson in the Epstein files. Labour backbenchers have argued that his involvement in Mandelson's appointment as US ambassador makes his position as the prime minister's most senior aide untenable. Downing Street has rejected calls for his removal.
Labour MP Kim Johnson commented on the allegations, stating they suggest "McSweeney's operation is rotten to the core" and adding, "If this is their idea of leadership, No 10 needs gutting from top to bottom."
Further Investigations and Discrediting Attempts
Democracy for Sale also reports that APCO prepared a document titled "Executive summary: investigation into Shadow World Investigations," which attempts to discredit Paul Holden, a journalist who collaborated on the Sunday Times story about Labour Together's finances. Shadow World Investigations is a London-based outlet run by South African journalists Paul Holden and Andrew Feinstein.
The memo reportedly focuses on undermining Holden's credibility, highlighting the extent of the thinktank's efforts to counter negative publicity. These developments raise significant questions about transparency, accountability, and the relationship between political organisations and the media in the UK.
