Imagine a government official secretly accusing journalists of being part of a foreign propaganda network—without evidence. Sounds like a plot twist from a political thriller, right? But this isn’t fiction; it’s a shocking revelation about a Labour minister’s actions. The Guardian has uncovered that Josh Simons, a Cabinet Office minister, falsely linked journalists to a ‘pro-Kremlin’ network in emails to British intelligence officials—despite publicly claiming to be ‘surprised’ and ‘furious’ about the investigation into these journalists. And this is the part most people miss: Simons wasn’t just a bystander; he was actively involved in naming them and pushing baseless allegations.
Here’s the full story: Simons, who once led the Labour Together thinktank, personally communicated to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), part of GCHQ, that journalists were tied to Russian propaganda. He even claimed one journalist was ‘living with’ the daughter of a former adviser to Jeremy Corbyn, alleging the adviser had ‘suspected links to Russian intelligence.’ Simons’ spokesperson denies these claims, but the emails—seen by the Guardian—tell a different story.
But here’s where it gets controversial: Simons commissioned APCO Worldwide, a lobbying firm, to investigate the sourcing of a Sunday Times story about Labour Together’s undeclared donations. While he later claimed to be ‘distressed’ by the report’s unnecessary details about a journalist, the emails reveal he named the same journalist in communications with intelligence officials weeks later. Simons and his chief of staff, Ben Szreter, even suggested the story was part of a Russian disinformation campaign—despite no credible evidence.
When confronted, some journalists accused Simons of a ‘McCarthyite smear,’ feeling ‘violated’ by his actions. The Electoral Commission had already fined Labour Together £14,000 for failing to declare £730,000 in donations, but Simons’ focus seemed to be on discrediting the journalists rather than addressing the breach.
And this is the part that raises eyebrows: Simons’ emails to the NCSC included highly personal information about freelance reporter Paul Holden, linking him to a ‘pro-Kremlin propaganda network.’ Holden, who had investigated Russian oligarchs, called the claims ‘absurd and chilling.’ His partner, Jessica Murray, felt ‘deeply violated’ after their home address was exposed. Andrew Murray, Jessica’s father and a former Corbyn adviser, denied any ties to Russian intelligence, calling Simons’ allegations ‘a McCarthyite smear.’
The NCSC ultimately dismissed Simons’ claims, but he persisted, briefing national newspapers with the same unsubstantiated allegations. None of these claims were published, and Holden’s sources confirmed the story was based on leaked Labour Party files, not Russian hacks.
So, here’s the question: Is this a desperate attempt to divert attention from Labour Together’s failures, or a genuine—if misguided—effort to protect national security? What do you think? Let’s discuss in the comments—this story is far from over.
