A Labour member of parliament who resigned as a Cabinet Office minister has said he was 'naive' and 'so sorry' in his first full interview since stepping down. Josh Simons left his post in February after claims that a think tank he previously led commissioned a report examining the backgrounds of journalists.

The organisation, Labour Together, paid a communications firm to investigate the sourcing and origins of a newspaper story about undeclared donations before the 2024 general election. The resulting report included details about a journalist's religious beliefs and suggestions about his ideological stance, prompting criticism.

Simons said he had been concerned that confidential information may have been obtained through a hack of the Electoral Commission and that it could be used to revisit internal party controversies. He admitted he would have acted differently, saying he had learned from the experience but never intended to smear journalists.

Although the prime minister's ethics adviser concluded that Simons had not broken ministerial rules, Simons chose to resign, saying the issue had become a distraction for the government. The prime minister accepted his resignation with sadness and thanked him for his service.