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Peter Davidson

Tory MP quits government after being 'shocked and angered' over Sue Gray report

A Tory MP has resigned as a ministerial aide after saying he was "shocked and angered" by the behaviour described in the Sue Gray report.

Paul Holmes, MP for Eastleigh and a ministerial aide to Home Secretary Priti Patel, said there was a "deep mistrust" in Boris Johnson's Tory party.

He is the first member of the government to resign following the publication of the report.

In a post online, he wrote: "As I have always made clear I, like most of you, was shocked and angered by the revelations when so many people across Eastleigh followed the rules and sacrificed many things in the need to stop the spread of the virus."

He said a "deep mistrust" in the Tories has been created by the lockdown breaches as he tried to represent constituents with integrity.

Paul Holmes, the Tory MP for Eastleigh, has stepped down from government (House of Commons)

"It is distressing to me that this work on your behalf has been tarnished by the toxic culture that seemed to have permeated Number 10," he wrote.

"Over the last few weeks this distress has led me to conclude that I want to continue to focus solely on my efforts in being your Member of Parliament and the campaigns that are important to you.

"That is why I have now resigned from my governmental responsibilities as a Parliamentary Private Secretary at the Home Office.

"It is clear to me that a deep mistrust in both the Government and the Conservative Party has been created by these events, something that pains me personally as someone who always tries to represent Eastleigh and its people with integrity.

"Whether that is taking up your issues in Parliament or helping people with their problems closer to home, since 2019 we have completed over 12,000 pieces of constituency casework. It is distressing to me that this work on your behalf has been tarnished by the toxic culture that seemed to have permeated Number 10."

It comes after three Tory MPs called on Johnson to resign following the report.

David Simmonds, Julian Sturdy and John Baron all said they were withdrawing their confidence in the Prime Minister.

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