UK digital ID brief quietly moves to new minister after resignation
Labour MP James Frith has taken over the ministerial roles held by Josh Simons after he resigned over his handling of a report on journalists while running a think tank.
Simons, who was the minister responsible for the UK government's efforts to introduce digital identity cards, was investigated by the Cabinet Office and then the prime minister's independent ethics adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, over his previous role running the Labour Together think tank.
He had commissioned a report from US public affairs outfit APCO Worldwide on journalists who had written critical articles about undeclared donations to the organization, which included material about Sunday Times journalist Gabriel Pogrund's Jewish beliefs and possible links to Russia. He also passed a version of the report to GCHQ's National Cyber Security Centre.
On February 28, Magnus said Simons had not breached the ministerial code. Simons resigned anyway, telling prime minister Sir Keir Starmer that "it is clear that my remaining in office has now become a distraction from this government's important work," that he "never sought to smear these newspaper reporters," and what happened to Pogrund was "a disgrace."
Frith has taken Simons' ministerial roles at both the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Cabinet Office.
At the time of publication, there is no mention of digital identity on the GOV.UK page on Frith's ministerial job.
The Register has asked the Cabinet Office if he will pick up that work. The government had planned to publish a consultation on its digital identity scheme in February, but did not do so.
Frith served as MP for Bury North between 2017 and 2019, when he was defeated by 105 votes by Conservative James Daly. He regained the seat in the 2024 general election.
The son of a bishop, Frith was once lead singer of indie rock band Finka, which played at the new bands tent at the Glastonbury festival. He later worked for Labour education secretary Ruth Kelly and then founded a social enterprise focused on careers advice. ®
