Blunkett forced to resign

DAVID Blunkett this morning submitted his resignation as the Department of Work and Pensions Secretary after apparently breaking ministerial rules, it was revealed today.

A formal announcement from 10 Downing Street was expected later this morning.


Mr Blunkett just yesterday declared he would not allow his critics to drive him out of office after questions over his business interests in the months between his resignation as Home Secretary last December and his return to government in May.

However on his way to work this morning he got a call from No 10 and following a meeting at No 10 it was announced that he had resigned.

Opposition leaders had called for an inquiry following the disclosure that Mr Blunkett had failed to consult a key Whitehall watchdog over a third business appointment.

The minister has already been forced to sell a £15,000 shareholding in DNA Bioscience, a biotechnology company that plans to bid for contracts awarded by his own Work and Pensions department.

That humiliation followed Mr Blunkett's admission over the weekend that he had not followed ministerial rules about outside jobs when he agreed to work for DNA Bioscience or management consultancy Indepen.

Under the Ministerial Code of Conduct, former ministers are required to consult the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments over any appointment they take up within two years of leaving office.

Mr Blunkett, the MP for Sheffield Brightside, was the Home Secretary for Prime Minister Tony Blair until he was forced to step down amid accusations of abuse of power.

Mr Blunkett's involvement with DNA Bioscience began through his own paternity fight with Kimberly Quinn, his former lover. Their relationship and claims his office had fast-tracked a visa application for Ms Quinn's former nanny was the ultimate cause of his resignation from the Cabinet last year.

Labour MP Clive Betts acknowledged today the political career of his friend Mr Blunkett was probably over.

"A second resignation in such a short period of time, I think, it is very difficult to see a rehabilitation in a similar way," Mr Betts said.

Ed: What does this all say about Tony Blair's judgement, a man who likes to take the country into war.