Labour’s shadow international trade secretary, Nick Thomas-Symonds, has urged the release of Lord Geidt’s resignation letter.
In a statement posted to the government website on Wednesday, Boris Johnson’s ethics adviser tendered his resignation.
His statement read: “With regret, I feel that it is right that I am resigning from my post as Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests.”
The announcement did not contain any exchange of letters.
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Deputy prime minister Dominic Raab has claimed this morning that Geidt’s “pretty rough grilling” by the House of Commons public administration and constitutional affairs committee earlier this week may have influenced his decision to resign.
Speaking to MPs on Tuesday, Geidt refused to reject claims he may have considered resignation following Boris Johnson’s fine for breaching Covid rules.
An ex parliamentary commissioner for standards complained earlier this morning that the exchange of letters between Geidt and Boris Johnson regarding the former’s resignation have not been published.
Sir Philip Mawer, who served in the role during Gordon Brown’s premiership, noted that he was “hugely disappointed but not surprised” by Lord Geidt’s decision to quit but that his dissatisfaction in the post was “apparent for a while”, including in his recent annual report.
Sir Philip told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that if the letter and the prime minister’s reply are not published, then I think people will draw their own conclusions and it won’t be favourable to the prime minister.”
Labour MP Chris Bryant, chair of the Commons’ committee on standards, has also said Geidt’s resignation letter ought to be released, telling the Today programme: “I know categorically that he has written to the Prime Minister to explain why he has resigned and that letter should be published.
“Downing Street does this all the time, it sort of says ‘oh no, there isn’t any more to be seen’ and then subsequently two days later we discover there was an incriminating letter.
“So I hope the Cabinet Office will publish that letter today.”
