Indeed not everybody is willing to be a push over like ex Asheton in makerfield Mp Josh Simmons, Although he himself is no stranger to scandal , having been forced to resign from his two front bench positions in February this year Before becoming an MP, Simons served as the director of Labour Together, an influential party think tank. In early 2026, investigative reporting by The Guardian revealed that the think tank had paid a corporate lobbying and public affairs agency, APCO Worldwide, at least £30,000 to conduct covert background checks on journalists. [1, 2, 3] The targeted journalists were actively investigating Labour Together over more than £700,000 in undeclared political donations linked to the party's rise to power. [1] The Intelligence Agency Involment The scandal deepened significantly when it was revealed that Simons had sent emails to British intelligence services—specifically GCHQ and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC)—falsely linking the reporting journalists to a "pro-Kremlin" disinformation network . [1] Hardly surprising Burnham saw no need to reward his "selfless act" he would have been leaving soon anyway . b Some "political commentators" still believe he will get a position in the house of Lords , presumably when "its all quietened down Painful reading for some on here "ouch" lol
