Lord Geidt and Boris Johnson's letters in full as Downing avenue publishes resignation

Lord Geidt, who was Boris Johnson’s ethics adviser, resigned on Wednesday night.

Downing Street has printed his letter and the prime minister’s response.

Read the letters in full under.

Lord Geidt’s letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson

Dear Prime Minister,

I appeared earlier than the general public administration and constitutional affairs committee in parliament yesterday.

I used to be glad for the chance to present an account of the latest adjustments to the ministerial code, to the phrases of reference of the unbiased adviser and to the assist for the workplace of the unbiased adviser.

I used to be requested at size about my latest annual report, I alluded to my frustration, as made clear in my preface, that you just had not made a public reference to your personal conduct beneath the ministerial code within the interval since inquiries have been underway.

This can be particularly necessary within the occasion that the Metropolitan Police discovered towards you, which they did and/or that Sue Gray’s report included criticism of behaviour throughout the scope of the ministerial code, which it did.

Politics Hub: Lord Geidt ‘had a reasonably tough grilling by MPs’, says Raab

Your letter in response to my annual report was welcome. It addressed the absence of remark by you about your obligations beneath the ministerial code up till that time.

You defined that, by paying a Fixed Term Penalty, you had not breached the Ministerial Code.

The letter didn’t, nonetheless, deal with particularly the criticism in Sue Gray’s reporter about your adherence to the Nolan Principles (on management, particularly).

Neither did the letter make point out that, regardless of being repeatedly questioned within the House of Commons about your obligation beneath the Ministerial Code (after paying a Fixed Penalty Notice), your responses once more made no reference to it.

I reported to the Select committee yesterday that I used to be glad that you just had responded to my Annual Report to clarify your place.

I’m disillusioned, nonetheless, that the account you gave was fuller, as famous above.

Moreover, I remorse the reference to the ‘miscommunication’ between our places of work, with the implication that I used to be in some way chargeable for you not being totally conscious of my issues.

These inconsistencies and deficiencies however, I consider that it was attainable to proceed credibly an Independent Adviser, albeit by a really small margin.

This week, nonetheless, I used to be tasked to supply a view in regards to the authorities’s intention to think about measures which danger a deliberate and purposeful breach of the Ministerial Code.

This request has positioned me in an not possible and odious place.

My casual response on Monday was that you just and some other minister ought to justify overtly your place vis-a-vis the Code in such circumstances.

However, the concept that a primary minister would possibly to any diploma be within the enterprise of intentionally breaching his personal Code is an affront.

A deliberate breach, and even an intention to take action, can be to droop the provisions of the code to go well with a political finish.

This would make a mockery not solely of respect for the code by licence the suspension of its provisions in governing the conduct of Her Majesty’s ministers.

I can don’t have any half on this.

Because of my obligation as a witness in Parliament, that is the primary alternative I’ve needed to act on the federal government’s intentions.

I, subsequently, resign from this appointment with speedy impact.

Yours sincerely,

The Rt Hon Lord Geidt

Boris Johnson’s response

Dear Lord Geidt,

I used to be sorry to obtain your letter of resignation yesterday.

I need to thanks on your service.

When we spoke on Monday you stated that you just have been content material to stay till the top of the yr.

So your letter got here as a shock.

You say that you just have been put in an not possible place relating to my in search of your recommendation on potential future choices associated to the Trade Remedies Authority.

My intention was to hunt your recommendation on the nationwide curiosity in defending a vital trade, which is protected in different European nations and would undergo materials hurt if we don’t proceed to use such tariffs.

This has previously had cross-party assist.

It can be according to our home legislation however is likely to be seen to battle with our obligations beneath the WTO.

In in search of your recommendation earlier than any resolution was taken, I used to be wanting to make sure that we acted correctly with due regard to the ministerial code.

You have carried out your duties admirably beneath very tough circumstances.

We have mentioned the burdens positioned on you by this more and more public function, and the pressures that may be felt by anybody in your place.

On behalf of the federal government, I wish to renew my thanks for all of your work.