UK work secretary David Blunkett resigns
Wednesday, November 2, 2005
David Blunkett, the United Kingdom's Work and Pensions Secretary, resigned following a meeting with Prime Minister Tony Blair today.
Public pressure had been growing on Mr. Blunkett to resign after revelations emerged that he had broken the British Ministerial Code of Conduct in relation to his large shareholdings and short-lived directorship in a company called DNA Bioscience. It is the second time Blunkett's has been forced to stand down from office, having previously stepped down as home secretary last year over claims that his office fast-tracked a visa application.
A member of the opposition Liberal Democrat party, Greg Mulholland said "I think he's done the right thing [in quitting], having done several quite blatantly wrong things". In an interview with the Sheffield Star yesterday, Blunkett declared that he would not resign, insisting that he had "done nothing wrong."
Blunkett's replacement was named as John Hutton, previously Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
Sources
edit- "Blunkett resigns from the Cabinet" — BBC News, November 02, 2005
- "Blunkett expected to resign" — Ireland On-Line, November 02, 2005
- Matthew Tempest. "Who will replace Blunkett?" — The Guardian, November 02, 2005
- Matthew Tempest. "Blunkett resigns for second time" — The Guardian, November 02, 2005
- "Hutton chosen to replace Blunkett" — BBC News, November 02, 2005