Boris Johnson’s anti-corruption tsar John Penrose quits and says PM must resign

© Provided by The Telegraph John Penrose said it was ‘pretty clear’ that Boris Johnson broke the Ministerial Code

Boris Johnson’s anti-corruption tsar has quit the Government, saying that the Prime Minister broke the ministerial code and must resign.

John Penrose, who has held the role in the Home Office since 2017, submitted his letter of no confidence in the Prime Minister this morning, calling on Mr Johnson to “stand aside”.

The former minister, who has been an MP since 2005, said in a letter written yesterday, that it was a “clear resigning matter” that the ministerial code had been breached as shown by the Sue Gray report, and that he would be voting against Mr Johnson in today’s confidence vote.

“I’m writing, with huge regret, to tender my resignation as your Anti-Corruption Champion,” he wrote in his letter to Graham Brady, the 1922 committee chairman.

“Not because I have ceased to care about the role – the issue is more important now than ever.”

The Tory MP for Weston-super-Mare said that the Sue Gray report, and the Prime Minister’s response to Lord Geidt, his independent advisor on ministers’ interests, ignored the “absolutely central, non-negotiable issue” that breaching the code requires resignation.

“As a result, I’m afraid it wouldn’t be honourable or right for me to remain as your Anti-Corruption Champion after reaching this conclusion, nor for you to remain as Prime Minister either,” he wrote.

“I hope you will now stand aside so we can look to the future and choose your successor.”

On Tuesday, Lord Geidt indicated that he considered resigning from his role, and said the question of whether the ministerial code had been broken was a “legitimate” one.

When asked if the Prime Minister is “done” no matter which way the vote goes, Mr Penrose told Sky News: “I fear that may be the case, I think it’s over. It feels now like a question of when, not if, but we will have to wait and see.

“It feels like the beginning of the end.”

“I think what’s happening is people are having to reply to their constituents, with the Sue Gray report having come out, and they are basically saying: “can I look at myself in the mirror in the morning, and look myself in the eye and say that I’ve done the right thing?”.”

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