It’s a “surprising” departure that re-shapes Boris Johnson, tainted by the “Partygate” scandal. The adviser to the British prime minister, responsible for ethics and compliance with the ministerial code, has resigned, Boris Johnson announced on Thursday. The Conservative leader, who thus suffered a fresh blow, said he was “sorry” to have received this letter of resignation, expressing his “surprise” in a letter sent to Christopher Geidt on Thursday.

The latter explains in his message that he thought he could continue his role after the “Partygate” scandal, in Downing Street these parties fined Boris Johnson during his imprisonment. But he eventually decided to resign after being put in an “impossible position” by a new request.

“an insult”

“I am directed to advise on the intention of the Government to consider measures that risk willful and willful breach of the Ministerial Code. This request put me in an impossible and disgusting situation,” he wrote without giving further details.

He said the idea that the prime minister could “in any way knowingly violate his own code is an outrage”. Boris Johnson replied that he was “taking her advice before making any decisions”.

New rejection for Johnson

Christopher Geidt is the second ministerial ethics adviser after Alex Allen to resign in three years. The latter slammed the door in 2020 when Boris Johnson refused to accept his findings on harassment allegations against Interior Minister Priti Patel.

The resignation of the former diplomat, who was also Queen Elizabeth II’s personal secretary for ten years, is a new rejection for Boris Johnson, who recently escaped a no-confidence motion with more than 40% of Conservative MPs trying to win. Were were Even though he retained his position and could not be targeted by a no-confidence motion for a year, the prime minister, who has become very unpopular two and a half years after his election victory, saw his authority weakened by the horrors of the catapult. Is. ,