DfT gets new secretary of state after Haigh resigns

Heidi Alexander moves from Ministry of Justice to take on transport brief
New transport secretary Heidi Alexander Photo: Parliament.uk

By Jim Dunton

29 Nov 2024

Keir Starmer has named Heidi Alexander as the new secretary of state at the Department for Transport following Louise Haigh's shock resignation today.

Alexander moves from the Ministry of Justice, where she had served as a minister of state since July.

The transport brief is her first cabinet-level job, but it is far from new territory: Alexander served as deputy mayor of London responsible for transport from 2018-2021.

She stood down as MP for Lewisham East to take up the City Hall posting under Mayor of London Sadiq Khan. Alexander returned to parliament in July's general election as MP for Swindon South.

Her ascension to the cabinet was announced shortly before midday, five hours after Haigh became the first member of the new government to resign.

Last night, Sky News reported that in 2014 Haigh had been convicted for an offence related to misleading the police after being the victim of a mugging. She had failed to correct a statement that wrongly detailed a work mobile phone as among the items taken during what she described as a "terrifying" experience.

In a letter to Starmer published this morning, Haigh said the incident had been a "mistake" but added: "whatever the facts of the matter, this issue will inevitably be a distraction from delivering on the work of this government".

Haigh said she was sorry to leave government "under these circumstances" but took pride in what ministers had achieved since Labour returned to power in July.

Accepting her resignation, Starmer wrote: "Thank you for all you have done to deliver this government’s ambitious transport agenda.

"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."

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