Heidi Alexander has been appointed as the new transport secretary, it has been announced, following the resignation of Louise Haigh.
Alexander, the Labour MP Swindon South, had been serving as a justice minister until promotion her on Friday afternoon.
She had previously served as London mayor Sadiq Khan’s deputy for transport between 2018-2021.
Alexander had a lengthy career in politics preceding that, having been the MP for Lewisham East from 2010-2018. She also served as the shadow health secretary under Jeremy Corbyn between 2015-2016, during the junior doctors’ contract strikes.
She became the first shadow cabinet minister to resign in June 2016, calling for a new party leader after the EU referendum and dismissal of Hilary Benn.
Louise Haigh resigned as transport secretary on Friday morning, after it emerged she had pleaded guilty to an offence connected with incorrectly telling police that a work mobile phone was stolen in 2013.
In a statement on Thursday night, Haigh said she discovered “some time later” that the phone had not been taken.
In her resignation letter, she described it as a “mistake” but said that “whatever the facts of the matter, this issue will inevitably be a distraction from delivering on the work of this government”.
Responding to the Labour MP, prime minister Keir Starmer thanked Haigh for “all you have done to deliver this government’s ambitious transport agenda”.
He added: “You have made huge strides to take our rail system back into public ownership through the creation of Great British Railways, investing £1bn in our vital bus services and lowering cost for motorists.
“I know you still have a huge contribution to make in the future.”
Josh Self is Editor of Politics.co.uk, follow him on Bluesky here.
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