Boris Johnson's ethics adviser resigned suddenly because he was put in "an odious position" when asked to consider measures that “risk a deliberate and purposeful breach of the ministerial code”.
Details of Lord Geidt’s shock resignation as Boris Johnson’s ethics adviser have been set out in a letter he sent the Prime Minister.
In the explosive resignation letter, Lord Geidt accused the Prime Minister of putting him in an "impossible and odious" position and added: "I can have no part in this".
Lord Geidt dramatically resigned on Wednesday just days after he said it is “reasonable” to suggest the Prime Minister broke the ministerial code over coronavirus lockdown-busting parties in No 10.
In his letter to the Prime Minister Geidt outlined how he managed to "continue credibly" as ethics adviser, if only "by a very small margin", after the partygate scandals and the Prime Minister being fined for breaching lockdown rules.
However, the final straw appears to have been consideration of a policy proposal that Geidt considers a "purposeful breach" of the ministerial code.
In a stinging criticism of Johnson, Geidt wrote: “The idea that a prime minister might to any degree be in the business of deliberately breaching his own code is an affront."
"A deliberate breach, or even an intention to do so, would be to suspend the provisions of the code to suit a political end. This would make a mockery not only of respect for the code but licence the suspension of its provisions in governing the conduct of Her Majesty’s ministers. I can have no part in this.”
In his response the Prime Minister wrote that he had asked for advice on protecting a crucial industry which receives state backing in other countries.
Johnson wrote that the resignation “came as a surprise” after the ethics adviser said he was put “in an impossible position” over advice relating to the Trade Remedies Authority.
Last year the independent Trade Remedies Authority recommended that the UK remove a number of safeguard tariffs on Chinese steel.
But there was scepticism in Westminster that steel tariffs were the issue which finally pushed Geidt into resigning as ethics adviser to the scandal-strewn Boris Johnson.
Lord Geidt became the second ministerial interests adviser to resign during the Prime Minister’s three years in office when a brief statement was published on Wednesday evening.
“With regret, I feel that it is right that I am resigning from my post as independent adviser on ministers’ interests,” the message on the Government website read.
Downing Street issued a statement referring to Lord Geidt giving advice on a “commercially sensitive matter in the national interest” this week, but would not give further details at the time.
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