By Minister quits after law-breaking at Downing Street
A Conservative minister has resigned following the news that the Prime Minister and Rishi Sunak were fined over parties held at Downing street during national lockdowns.
Lord David Wolfson criticised the “official response” to “repeated rule-breaking”.
He is the first person to quit the government since reports of lockdown parties emerged.
Despite opposition parties calling for the PM and chancellor to resign the two officials have been backed by Tory cabinet ministers.
Some Tory MPs who previously called for the PM to resign have expressed their support, with only three Tory MPs publicly calling for resignation.
Tobias Ellwood, who was among those who said they would submit no confidence letters in his leadership earlier in the year, told BBC Radio 4 it had been his “consistent” view Mr Johnson should “step back”.
Barrister Lord Wolfson has been a justice minister since December 2020, with responsibility for human rights and the constitution.
In his resignation letter, he said the “scale, context and nature” of Covid breaches in government was inconsistent with the rule of law.
He added that he had “no option” other than to resign, given his “ministerial and professional obligations” in this area.
“It is not just a question of what happened in Downing Street or your own conduct,” he wrote to the PM.
“It is also, and perhaps more so, the official response to what took place.”
Mr Johnson’s fine makes him the UK’s first serving prime minister to be sanctioned for an offence under criminal law.
He is known to have attended at least two further events being investigated by police, meaning he could be fined again.
