Government’s Most Senior LGBTQ+ Minister Resigns Over Boris Johnson’s “Indefensible” Actions
July 6, 2022The ongoing scandal that has crippled the government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson took another twist Wednesday afternoon when out Housing Minister Stuart Andrew announced on Twitter he has resigned.
The openly gay MP was only appointed his role six months ago.
In his letter of resignation attached to his tweet, the out Conservative Member of Parliament wrote:
“Loyalty and unity are traits that I have always endeavored to provide for our great party. However, I fear I have let these override my judgement recently.
“There comes a time when you have to look at your own personal integrity and that time is now. Therefore, given recent events, I have no other choice than to resign.
“Our party, particularly our members and more importantly our great country, deserve better. Having a marginal seat I have seen the huge sacrifice our members make in volunteering considerable hours to campaign on our behalf and I cannot, in all good conscience, tolerate them having to defend the indefensible.”
As Los Angele Blade writes, Andrew is now the ninth most senior level minister to depart Johnson’s government, nearly all questioning the prime minister’s integrity and ability to stay on after it was disclosed that allegations of groping males by a now disgraced deputy chief whip, appointed by Johnson, was known to the prime minster prior to Johnson’s placing him into that role.
It was reported on Monday that Chris Pincher, the Tamworth MP stood down from the post on Thursday June 30 after he was accused of groping two men at the Carlton Club in London. In 2017, he voluntarily referred himself to police after he was accused of making an unwanted sexual advance on Olympic rower Alex Story.
On Monday, the former permanent secretary to the Foreign Office and Head of HM Diplomatic Service, Simon McDonald, castigated the Johnson administration in a letter written July 4 that McDonald sent that he also posted on Twitter.
McDonald said Number 10 had made “inaccurate” claims that Johnson was “not aware of any specific allegations” against Pincher when he was appointed deputy chief whip in February.
In his letter, McDonald said Pincher faced similar allegations shortly after he was appointed minister of state at the Foreign Office in the summer of 2019.
It was also noted that Johnson’s government has so far hemorrhaged 21 government officials, from members of his top team to Parliamentary Private Secretaries.
An official with the UK government with knowledge of the ongoing controversy regarding Downing Street’s evasive maneuvering on Pincher told the Blade Wednesday that the scramble to position a unified front backing the prime minister has been destroyed in part due to the fact that the prime minster was in fact aware of the 2019 complaints about the alleged sexual groping. The official noted that the denial, the retraction, and the clumsy efforts to redefine the government’s stance had angered senior cabinet members.
Johnson, who has so far survived a vote of no confidence in Commons, multiple investigations, and a criminal fine from police for his involvement in a series of law-breaking coronavirus pandemic lockdown parties may be headed into a place where resigning will be the only option the official said.
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