London, July 7: Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis on Thursday became the latest minister to resign from Prime Minister Boris Johnson-led government.
This comes after half-a-dozen Ministers quit the UK government due to a recent scandal over the appointment of Christopher Pincher as the deputy chief whip.
According to BBC, Lewis was among cabinet ministers who told the prime minister on Wednesday that he needed to step down from office due to a loss in support.
He has faced criticisms over his handling of the power-sharing cisis at Stormont and the Northern Ireland Protocol.
In a tweet, Lewis said “A decent and responsible Government relies on honesty, integrity and mutual respect – it is a matter of profound personal regret that I must leave Government as I no longer believe those values are being upheld. I have submitted my letter of resignation to the Prime Minister.”
In a letter to the PM, Lewis said, “A decision to leave Government is never taken lightly, particularly at such a critical time for Northern Ireland. I have taken a lot of time to consider this decision, having outlined my position to you at length last night.
“I have given you, and those around you, the benefit of the doubt. I have gone out and defended this Government both publicly and privately. We are, however, now past the point of no return. I cannot sacrifice my personal integrity to defend things as they stand now. It is clear that our Party, parliamentary colleagues, volunteers and the whole country, deserve better.”
“A decent and responsible Government relies on honesty, integrity and mutual respect – it is a matter of profound personal regret for me that I must leave Government as I no longer believe those values are being upheld,” he added.
With UNI Inputs….
