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Sir Keir Starmer has faced fresh pressure to “come clean” about what he knew of a Labour-linked think tank’s investigation into journalists. The Prime Minister’s former chief of staff and ex-head of communications were briefed about Labour Together’s probe into reporters, it has emerged.

Morgan McSweeney and Paul Ovenden were informed about lobbying firm APCO’s work for Labour Together. The US PR firm was paid more than £30,000 to “investigate the sourcing, funding and origins” of a news story in November 2023 about the think tank’s undeclared funding that helped fund Sir Keir’s leadership victory.

Kevin Hollinrake, chairman of the Conservative Party, said: “These latest reports are damning. Keir Starmer cannot credibly claim he was unaware of this report, given two of his closest advisers, Morgan McSweeney and Paul Ovenden, were reportedly briefed on its contents.

“Keir Starmer must come clean about what he knew and when. He cannot be allowed to cover this up and let his staff take the fall, just as he did with the Mandelson scandal.

“If Morgan McSweeney is reportedly back in the fold and advising No 10, the Government must urgently explain how this is acceptable, especially after these serious revelations.”

In an email ahead of a proposed meeting with APCO’s Tom Harper in January 2024, Labour Together’s then boss Josh Simons wrote: “Tom will be delivering his report on Paul Holden on Monday. Can we find a time for Tom, Morgan, Paul and me to meet or Zoom in HQ sometime after next week?”

The email was sent to Mr McSweeney and Mr Ovenden’s Labour Party email addresses.

At the time, both men were Labour Party employees and joined the heart of Sir Keir’s Downing Street operation six months later.

Labour figures confirmed that a meeting subsequently took place, though it is unclear what was discussed.

They added that Mr McSweeney and Mr Ovenden knew about the report and approved of it, but neither commissioned nor helped write it. Sir Keir himself was not aware of its existence, they added.

Mr Simons, who resigned from the Cabinet Office in February in the wake of the scandal, recently stood down from his Makerfield seat to allow Andy Burnham to run.

The email is part of a trove of documents obtained by journalist Paul Holden through a subject access request to Labour Together and shared with Democracy for Sale.

Alison Phillips, chief executive of ThinkLabour, said that she remained “shocked at the work undertaken by APCO in 2023 for Labour Together”.

“It was indefensible and, as a former journalist, I believe it was work that should not have been commissioned or undertaken,” Ms Philips added.

A Labour Party spokesman said: “The freedom of the press is a cornerstone of our democracy. The Labour Party remains firmly committed to upholding and protecting that freedom, which is vital in ensuring journalists are able to rightly hold public figures to account.

“Any suggestion that the Labour Party had any role in the commissioning of this report would be incorrect. Labour Together have themselves acknowledged that the scope of the work carried out through this report was indefensible.”