A political controversy has engulfed British government circles following revelations that operatives connected to the Labour Party commissioned surveillance activities targeting multiple journalists, including American reporters Paul Thacker and Matt Taibbi. The scandal has resulted in a senior adviser to Prime Minister Keir Starmer stepping down, while British authorities have initiated an inquiry into these media surveillance operations.
Despite initial denials from Labour Party officials during telephone conversations with Thacker, leaked documentation obtained from London-based sources confirms that he was indeed among those monitored. The material, bearing “STRICTLY PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL” markings, identifies Thacker as a “significant person of interest” to Labour Party operatives.
The surveillance initiative began after Thacker commenced his investigative reporting on the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) during 2023. This organization originated from Labour Together, a British think tank previously directed by Josh Simons. Simons authorized the public relations firm APCO to conduct monitoring operations on Thacker and fellow journalists.
Currently serving as a Member of Parliament, Simons publicly stated on social media that APCO’s assignment involved investigating a suspected unauthorized computer intrusion. However, the leaked documentation contains no references to hacking activities. Multiple attempts to reach Simons through both official government channels and personal correspondence went unanswered.
Documents reveal that APCO’s activities on behalf of Labour Together were supervised by Tom Harper, formerly employed as a journalist at the British Sunday Times. Harper similarly declined to respond to repeated inquiries.
Thacker’s interest in CCDH stemmed from observing prominent American news organizations, including The New York Times and Washington Post, repeatedly citing the group as authoritative sources on diverse topics ranging from vaccination policy to online hostility, misinformation campaigns, religious prejudice, and climate change skepticism. Despite residing in Washington, D.C. for ten years, Thacker had never encountered CCDH or its chief executive, Imran Ahmed.
Investigation work published in Tablet magazine during 2023 traced CCDH’s origins to London, where it emerged around 2018. Ahmed’s background revealed connections to British Labour Party political operations. His associate Morgan McSweeney, another Labour Party operative, managed Labour Together. McSweeney gained recognition for orchestrating Prime Minister Starmer’s political ascension and served as chief of staff until recently departing amid a separate controversy involving Jeffrey Epstein.
Ahmed and McSweeney concealed their involvement with CCDH for multiple years before information emerged revealing the organization operated within Labour Together’s offices. Upon establishing operations in America during 2021, CCDH rapidly gained attention from Biden administration officials and Democratic congressional representatives.
Thacker found this sudden prominence peculiar, given Washington’s saturated nonprofit landscape where countless organizations compete for recognition. Financial records examination revealed CCDH’s chairman, Simon Clark, previously worked at the Center for American Progress, a think tank established by former Clinton administration official John Podesta that maintained Biden administration
connections. Thacker hypothesized that Clark facilitated Ahmed’s introductions to White House personnel and Democratic Party figures.
Following publication of Thacker’s investigative reports in both Tablet and The DisInformation Chronicle, an internal CCDH source contacted him during 2024, providing extensive documentation including internal communications from Ahmed. This material formed the basis for an article examining British advisers’ influence on American political campaigns and their objectives regarding social media platforms.
Subsequently, State Department officials initiated removal proceedings against Ahmed shortly before Christmas. During a BBC interview regarding these actions, Thacker expressed his view that Ahmed should return to Britain, asserting Americans would reject his censorship agenda.
In a subsequent podcast interview with State Department Undersecretary Sarah Rogers, Thacker noted that deporting someone so closely connected to Starmer’s government effectively challenged the Prime Minister’s office directly. Rogers acknowledged special diplomatic relations with Britain while declining to elaborate on discussions with British officials, stating only that relevant matters had been communicated.