LONDON, March 1, (Xinhua): British Cabinet Office minister Josh Simons on Saturday left the government following controversy over a think tank he previously led that reportedly gathered information on journalists.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had asked his independent ethics adviser, Laurie Magnus, to examine whether Simons had breached the ministerial code. Simons said he had been cleared of breaking the code but decided to step down, saying his continued presence in office had become a "distraction." The row centers on Labour Together, a think tank Simons ran before entering government.

Media reports alleged that the organization paid for background research into journalists who had published a critical story about it. According to the British government, Simons was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology from Jan 9 to Feb 28. He was Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office from Sept 7, 2025 to Feb 28.