Former Cabinet Office minister Josh Simons has publicly apologized and admitted to being "naive" in his first comprehensive interview since stepping down from his government post.
Simons resigned on February 28 amid mounting pressure over revelations that Labour Together, a think tank he formerly directed, commissioned an investigative dossier on journalists. The organization paid APCO Worldwide £30,000 to look into reporters from the Sunday Times who were scrutinizing the think tank's undeclared political donations in the run-up to the 2024 election.
Appearing on the BBC's Newscast, the 32-year-old MP insisted he "never sought to smear" the press. He explained that his decision to hire the corporate intelligence firm stemmed from fears that the Sunday Times had acquired confidential data via a cyberattack on the Electoral Commission. Furthermore, he worried the leaked material might be weaponized to minimize the Labour Party's historical antisemitism crisis.
However, the resulting APCO report sparked massive backlash. It delved into the Jewish heritage of journalist Gabriel Pogrund and shockingly suggested that his past coverage of the Royal Family served Russian strategic interests. It also targeted Paul Holden, the journalist who supplied information for the Sunday Times piece. Holden maintained his reporting was entirely accurate, in the public interest, and sourced from a legitimate Labour Party leak rather than any cyber hack. The BBC has also found no evidence linking the story to a data breach.
Simons reiterated that APCO had "gone beyond" its original remit, but he acknowledged his missteps.
"I was naive and there's a lot I've learned from it and there are things I would have done differently," Simons confessed.
Although an independent ethics probe led by Sir Laurie Magnus cleared Simons of breaching the ministerial code—concluding he had been "honest and truthful"—the MP said he chose to resign to avoid becoming a "distraction" for Prime Minister Keir Starmer's administration. He admitted that regardless of his intentions, he had given the wrong impression and felt it was necessary to take responsibility.
Taking Aim at Big Tech
During the interview, Simons also pivoted to his former career in the tech sector, specifically his time on Meta's AI ethics team from 2018 to 2022. Reacting to a recent landmark Los Angeles jury verdict that found Meta and Google liable for intentionally designing addictive social media products, the former minister said the ruling should "terrify" Silicon Valley executives.
Simons claimed that during his tenure, he repeatedly warned Meta leadership about the dangers of AI systems engineered to harvest clicks through negative emotions.
"You're trying to make them keep coming back and you do that by making people feel shame or fear or anger or guilt," he explained, accusing the tech giant of routinely ignoring ethical recommendations in favor of corporate profits. Meta and Google have strongly disagreed with the jury's findings and plan to appeal.
Reflecting on the wider digital crisis, Simons is now urging the government to implement sweeping bans on smartphones in schools and to restrict social media access for anyone under the age of 16.
