Sir Keir Starmer at a Downing Street event this morning (Image: Getty)

       Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesman has declined more than a dozen times to say why Sir Keir Starmer appointed Louise Haigh to the Cabinet despite knowing she had a conviction for fraud.

       Downing Street declined to clarify whether the Prime Minister knew about Louise Haigh’s criminal conviction and appeared to suggest that new information had come to light that led to her resignation.

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       The Prime Minister's spokesman would only say that Sir Keir accepted her resignation, the first the Labour government has suffered since the July election, "following further information emerging".

       He said: “The Prime Minister has accepted her resignation and she has acknowledged that the issue will inevitably be a distraction on delivering the work of Government.”

       READ MORE: Transport Secretary Louise Haigh quits after admitting she misled police

       Louise Haigh resigned this morning (Image: Getty)

       Asked if Sir Keir Starmer knew about Ms Haigh’s conviction when he appointed her to the Cabinet, he said: “Following further information emerging, the Prime Minister has accepted Louise Haigh’s resignation.”

       He did not specify what the new information was. He said he would not “get into individual conversations”, saying only that ministers are expected to adhere to the ministerial code.

       Asked whether she was asked to resign or offered, he said: “She resigned.”

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       Ms Haigh resigned as Transport Secretary after it emerged she pleaded guilty to a criminal offence related to incorrectly telling police that a work mobile phone was stolen in 2013.

       It is understood the incident was disclosed to Sir Keir when she joined the shadow cabinet.

       Asked if Sir Keir believed Ms Haigh was completely candid when she was appointed to his

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       Why Keir Starmer won't get away with shrugging off General Election Now petition

       608 Comments

       Louise Haigh was a walking red flag - Keir Starmer now has one crucial question to answer

       723 Comments

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       162 Comments

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       442 Comments

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       236 Comments

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       63 Comments

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       519 Comments

       Rachel Reeves refuses three times to explain CV economist claims in excruciating clip

       186 Comments

       POLL: Has Labour has done a good job in their first five months in power?

       373 Comments

       Why Keir Starmer won't get away with shrugging off General Election Now petition

       608 Comments

       Louise Haigh was a walking red flag - Keir Starmer now has one crucial question to answer

       723 Comments

       5 times Louise Haigh called for Conservatives to resign

       196 Comments

       PMQs LIVE: Kemi Badenoch to grill Keir Starmer in fiery Commons clash

       1111 Comments

       Labour face crunch vote on heartless farmer tax after secret meeting

       94 Comments

       Stuttering Keir Starmer 'out of his depth' as This Morning interview mocked by viewers

       68 Comments

       Moment Keir Starmer crosses House of Commons to speak with Nigel Farage

       391 Comments

       New polling shows Kemi Badenoch's path to power

       94 Comments

       Labour concerns brew after Keir Starmer's first globe-trotting 5 months in power

       175 Comments

       Louise Haigh resigns as Transport Secretary after 'misleading police' over stolen phone

       642 Comments

       5 times Starmer called for softer immigration rules as Government blasts 'broken' system

       162 Comments

       MAPPED: UK towns and cities where most voters want Keir Starmer to call a general election

       442 Comments

       'Deeply hypocritical!' Labour will keep using helicopters despite attacking Tories

       236 Comments

       Kemi Badenoch gives Sir Keir and ear-bashing in Rock 'n' Roll PMQs performance

       62 Comments

       Tories demand Keir Starmer explain 'obvious failure of judgement' as Louise Haigh resigns

       76 Comments

       Keir Starmer battered by new storm as petition exposes public anger over Labour 'lies'

       63 Comments

       New EU-UK 'reset' European bureaucrat will get paid ￡35k more than the Prime Minister

       374 Comments

       Keir Starmer breaks silence on Louise Haigh resignation with strikingly brief reply

       519 Comments

       Rachel Reeves refuses three times to explain CV economist claims in excruciating clip

       186 Comments

       POLL: Has Labour has done a good job in their first five months in power?

       373 Comments

       Why Keir Starmer won't get away with shrugging off General Election Now petition

       608 Comments

       Louise Haigh was a walking red flag - Keir Starmer now has one crucial question to answer

       723 Comments

       5 times Louise Haigh called for Conservatives to resign

       196 Comments

       PMQs LIVE: Kemi Badenoch to grill Keir Starmer in fiery Commons clash

       1111 Comments

       Labour face crunch vote on heartless farmer tax after secret meeting

       94 Comments

       Stuttering Keir Starmer 'out of his depth' as This Morning interview mocked by viewers

       68 Comments

       Moment Keir Starmer crosses House of Commons to speak with Nigel Farage

       391 Comments

       shadow cabinet, he said he would not “get into individual conversations”.

       He repeated that ministers are expected to adhere to the ministerial code, but did not say how the ministerial code applied to Ms Haigh’s resignation.