A Tory minister has resigned from Boris Johnson’s cabinet after abusing his privileged position in an attempt to intimidate a member of the public.
Conor Burns, a close ally of the Prime Minister, stood down as International Trade Minister after the Commons standards watchdog recommended a seven-day suspension from parliament.
The Bournemouth West MP used House of Commons notepaper to write to an individual who was in dispute with his father over the repayment of a loan, and warned that he could raise the matter in parliament.
Burns served as Johnson’s close aide, a parliamentary private secretary, when he was foreign secretary.He was appointed minister of state for trade policy on the PM’s arrival at 10 Downing Street last July.A Number