UK Minister Used Top Law Firm to Target Journalists in Smear Campaign

Published: 18 February 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online

A major political scandal has erupted in the United Kingdom after it emerged that a senior government minister used a high-profile law and lobbying firm to launch a campaign against journalists who were investigating a controversial political group linked to the ruling party. The controversy centres on allegations that Josh Simons, a Cabinet Office minister and former head of the pro-Labour think tank Labour Together, authorised the hiring of the global advisory firm APCO Worldwide to investigate the reporting and backgrounds of two Sunday Times journalists following an exposé into undisclosed political donations.

The Telegraph reports that the minister’s actions included commissioning APCO to scrutinise journalists’ sources and motives, in effect attempting to discredit their reporting and undermine their professional reputations — raising alarm among press freedom advocates and senior figures in journalism. Cabinet Office sources confirmed an official investigation has been launched by the propriety and ethics team to determine whether Simons breached ministerial standards and misused his position.

Starmer’s government has responded by signalling support for a thorough inquiry into the matter, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stating he had no prior knowledge of the specific operation and stressing the importance of upholding press freedom. A spokesperson said the probe will review if the contract with APCO overstepped ethical boundaries or improperly targeted individual reporters.

Critics argue the incident goes beyond routine political spin, pointing to claims that the firm was asked to dig up personal or professional information to counteract damaging coverage of Labour Together’s failure to declare more than £730,000 in political donations over several years — a breach that had already prompted warnings from the Electoral Commission. Some reports even suggest attempts to insinuate foreign influence behind critical journalism, although intelligence agencies reportedly did not act on any such claims.

Opposition politicians and press freedom organisations have condemned the episode as a dangerous attack on independent media, saying it risks chilling investigative reporting and eroding trust in government. Labour defenders counter that examining journalists’ sources was intended to protect against alleged unlawful breaches of data or leaks about party funding, not to smear the press itself.

The controversy places fresh pressure on the government at a politically sensitive time, as debate intensifies over transparency, accountability and the appropriate use of public office — particularly when journalists pursuing stories of public interest find themselves targeted by political outfits with close ties to the state.

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