UK Labour-Linked Think Tank Commissioned Dossiers on Independent Journalists

A leaked memo marked “strictly private and confidential” has confirmed that Labour Together commissioned APCO Worldwide to dig into several independent journalists. The document lists Paul Thacker and Matt Taibbi as “significant persons of interest,” sparking a fresh row in London over how the Labour Party treats the media. Thacker calls it a state-sponsored spying operation, though the presence of 'Lorem ipsum' filler text suggests it’s more of a draft dossier—the kind of thing political groups use to manage "reputational threats" before they get out of hand.

The real heart of this is the tie between the UK Labour Party and the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH). The CCDH was essentially born within Labour Together, an organization previously run by Morgan McSweeney—the man who engineered Keir Starmer’s rise to power. It’s a perfect feedback loop: a non-profit that the Biden administration calls an authority on 'misinformation' is actually baked into the highest levels of British political power. APCO Worldwide just acted as the middleman for the monitoring.

“The document is marked 'STRICTLY PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL' and lists reporters as 'significant persons of interest' in an investigation linked to the CCDH.”

Context matters here. While "spying" sounds like wiretaps and dark alleys, this document reflects standard, if incredibly aggressive, PR research into a journalist's public footprint and "network of influence." But here’s the kicker: MP Josh Simons defended the hire by claiming it was a response to a “suspected illegal hack.” He said as much on X. Yet, the leaked pages don't say a word about cyber-breaches or forensics. It’s a massive gap between what the think tank says in public and what’s actually in their internal files.

At the end of the day, this operation seems designed to shield political allies from anyone asking tough questions. By cataloging the "vulnerabilities" of reporters, operatives can try to kill a story or discredit the writer before the public even sees it. It’s a growing trend where "anti-disinformation" groups, often presented as neutral, function like tactical arms for political parties. Now, we wait to see if the British government's investigation will force the full, non-redacted APCO contract into the light.