A parliamentary inquiry must be held after a Labour Party think tank allegedly spied on Sunday Times journalists, the SNP have said.
Labour Together is said to have paid public affairs firm APCO £30,000 to "investigate the sourcing, funding and origins" of a Times story about undeclared donations prior to the 2024 general election.
According to the BBC, the report is believed to have commented on journalist Gabriel Pogrund's Jewish beliefs and political positions.
Ex-Labour Together boss Josh Simons, now a Cabinet Office minister, is said to have commissioned the report.
He said: "I was surprised and shocked to read the report extended beyond the contract by including unnecessary information on Gabriel Pogrund. I asked for this information to be removed before passing the report to GCHQ.”
On Monday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer ordered the Cabinet Office to investigate claims against the think tank, which helped elect him as Labour leader.
However, SNP parliamentarians have called for an independent investigation.
Pete Wishart MP said that Starmer had made a "serious error of judgment” by keeping Simons in the Cabinet Office.
He added: “There cannot be another Labour Party white wash, or more dragging of feet instead of action, like there was over Starmer's appointment of Peter Mandelson and Matthew Doyle.
"Starmer has serious questions to answer. Why hasn't he already sacked Simons? What did he know about the Labour Together scandal over undeclared donations, breaches of electoral law, and spying on journalists before he appointed him?
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“There must now be a full, cross-party parliamentary inquiry into this scandal.”
The revelations are the latest blow for a government in turmoil, following weeks of scrutiny over Labour grandee Peter Mandelson’s ties to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Wishart went on to say: “As Keir Starmer has previously admitted, a light-touch cabinet office investigation would be wholly inadequate and would give rise to concerns about the Labour government trying to mark its own homework.
“Voters deserve answers - not another Labour Party cover up.”
