Blunkett concedes 'mistakes' and resigns

David Blunkett has resigned from the Cabinet, admitting "I have made mistakes”.

The Work and Pensions Secretary said that he was stepping down from the Cabinet in order to “protect the government”.

Earlier today at Prime Minister’s Question Time, Tony Blair said that he had “reluctantly accepted” Mr Blunkett’s resignation. He said: “Whatever mistakes [Mr Blunkett] has made... he is a decent and honourable man who can be proud of his record in British public life.”

Former health minister John Hutton, MP for Barrow & Furness, will replace Mr Blunkett as Work and Pensions Secretary.

Mr Blunkett had faced increasing pressure to resign after it emerged that he had breached the ministerial code of conduct, by taking a job without consulting an independent committee.

Mr Blunkett had been due to attend a meeting of the Work and Pensions Committee on Wednesday morning, but the meeting was reported to have been cancelled.

Mr Blunkett was then later seen heading towards Downing Street, fuelling expectations that he would announce his resignation.

It is the second time that Mr Blunkett has resigned from the Cabinet within a year. He left his job as Home Secretary last December, after it emerged that he had fast-tracked a visa application for this former lover’s nanny.

The current row erupted over his accepting a post on the board of a DNA testing firm, DNA Biosciences, prior to the General Election and his return to the Cabinet. He also purchased £15,000 of shares in the firm for his sons.

According to the official ministerial code, Mr Blunkett should have sought advice from the independent Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, before accepting the post.

On Monday evening, Mr Blunkett announced that he had asked his sons to sell the shares without making a profit.

However, on Tuesday, ‘The Times’ revealed that he had failed to heed the advice of three separate letters from the Committee, regarding taking jobs while out of the Cabinet.

It was also revealed on Wednesday that one of the directors of DNA Bioscience, Lucy Siddiqi, had also resigned, citing “intense media attention” on herself and her family.

Mr Blunkett’s decision came as it emerged that Lord Nolan, the former chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, had suggested that Mr Blunkett should be sacked or demoted.

Conservative leader Michael Howard said that the events had shown Mr Blair to be a “lame duck” Prime Minister. He said: “We have seen the slow seepage of his authority turn into a haemorrhage.

Shadow Commons Leader Chris Grayling, who had written to Mr Blair demanding an inquiry when the allegations first emerged, said:

"I don't believe you can systematically ignore the ministerial code. Joining a company for two weeks during the general election campaign and becoming a director - people don't do that sort of thing. Through his own actions, he created huge question marks over his judgement."

(KMcA/SP)