Lobbyist in Labour Together scandal has been investigating Guardian reporter, say reports | Media

A lobbyist who investigated journalists for a prominent thinktank has been accused of recently examining a reporter at the Guardian. Tom Harper, a senior director at the US public affairs company Apco, authored a report scrutinizing the journalists behind a 2023 Sunday Times story concerning undisclosed donations to Labour Together, the organization pivotal in Keir Starmer’s ascent to Labour leadership.

Report Allegations

Harper’s 58-page report, commissioned by the thinktank, asserted – without supporting evidence – that the story originated from data hacked from the Electoral Commission, allegedly linked to Russia. The report also examined the religious and ideological stances of journalists and sources involved in the reporting.

Investigation of Guardian Reporter

According to the Sunday Times, Harper has recently been investigating Henry Dyer, an investigations correspondent at the Guardian, who has been reporting on the revelations. The report stated Harper had been making inquiries about Dyer as recently as last week, suggesting – without evidence – he could have been part of a wider pro-Russia campaign.

Ongoing Investigations and Political Fallout

Apco has been contacted for comment. The company is currently under investigation by the standards committee of the Public Relations and Communications Association, a trade body for the PR industry, regarding its research into journalists. The political repercussions of Labour Together’s decision to commission the research continue to unfold.

Josh Simons, now a Cabinet Office minister, was director of Labour Together when the organization paid Apco £36,000 to investigate the “sourcing, funding and origin” of the story examining its political donations. Calls are mounting across the political spectrum for Starmer to dismiss Simons, following a Guardian report that Simons falsely accused journalists of having ties to Russian intelligence. He is also the subject of a Whitehall ethics inquiry.

False Accusations and Source of Information

An investigation revealed Simons falsely concluded that journalists investigating Labour Together’s donations had obtained information through a Russian hack. Simons also informed security officials that a journalist was “living with” the daughter of a former adviser to Jeremy Corbyn, with his team suggesting the former adviser was “suspected of links to Russian intelligence.” A spokesperson for Simons stated these claims are untrue.

Labour Together, originally headed by Morgan McSweeney, who recently resigned as Starmer’s chief of staff, played a key role in strategizing and maneuvering to replace Corbyn as leader.

The thinktank’s decision to commission Apco’s investigation was initially revealed by the Democracy for Sale publication earlier this month, following a critical story in 2023 that detailed £730,000 of undeclared donations to Labour Together, then led by McSweeney. The Electoral Commission fined the thinktank over £14,000 for failing to declare the funding.

The Apco report focused on two Sunday Times journalists and potential sources. Ten pages of Harper’s report were dedicated to Gabriel Pogrund, examining his faith and alleging – without evidence – connections between his reporting and pro-Russia actors. In 2024, Simons forwarded a shorter version of the report to GCHQ, excluding the section about Pogrund.

Paul Holden, a freelance journalist who provided documents to the Sunday Times for their original report, recently shared his source materials with the Guardian, indicating the story was based on files leaked from the Labour party by whistleblowers. A spokesperson for Simons stated: “Labour Together commissioned Apco to investigate the information Paul Holden obtained for his book, as has repeatedly been made clear.”