The Story ‘This is dark s***’: inside the political smear campaign to discredit journalists
10 snips
Feb 17, 2026 Ben Clatworthy, Whitehall editor at The Times, offers Westminster analysis. Emanuele Midolo, investigations reporter at The Sunday Times, outlines political probes. They trace a paid PR dossier aimed at discrediting reporters. Conversation covers how the dossier circulated in Westminster, APCO’s role, ties between Labour Together and ministers, and the reputational fallout in Number 10.
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Report Targeted Sunday Times Reporters
- Emanuele Midolo describes finding a secret APCO report that targeted his colleagues after their Labour Together investigation.
- He recounts shock and disgust at personal, false claims about Gabriel Pogrund's background and alleged motives.
Investigative Findings Sparked The Response
- The November 2023 Sunday Times piece revealed Labour Together failed to declare £730,000 in donations and breached electoral law.
- That reporting exposed donor links to Russia, which likely intensified Labour Together's reaction.
Labour Together Hired APCO Not Cyber Experts
- Days after the article, Josh Simons commissioned US-origin PR firm APCO to investigate the reporters rather than hire cybersecurity experts.
- APCO produced a private 58-page dossier, Operation Canon, that focused heavily on Gabriel and Harry.
