Keir Starmer has appointed Heidi Alexander as the new transport secretary after Louise Haigh left the role this morning.

Alexander, the MP for Swindon South, was appointed as the justice minister when Labour won the election in July.

She will now leave that job after her promotion.

Alexander has experience with this brief, having previously worked as the deputy transport mayor under London mayor Sadiq Khan between 2018 and 2021. 

Haigh suddenly resigned on Friday, after Sky News and The Times reported she pleaded guilty to a fraud conviction in 2014.

Haigh told the police she was mugged in 2013 and her work mobile phone was taken, but claimed she later found the device at home.

Haigh said in her resignation statement it was a “genuine mistake from which I did not make any gain”.

In a letter to Starmer, Haigh also claimed that while she is “totally committed to our political project,” she thinks “it will be best served by my supporting you from outside government”.

 She continued: “Whatever the facts of the matter, this issue will inevitably be a distraction from delivering on the work of this government.”

She added: “I am sorry to leave under these circumstances, but I take pride in what we have done.

“I will continue to fight every day for the people of Sheffield Heeley who I was first and foremost elected to represent and to ensure that the rest of our programme is delivered in full.”

Starmer responded by thanking her for “all you have done to deliver this government’s ambitious transport agenda”.

He added: “I know you still have a huge contribution to make in the future.”