On Friday, a British minister resigned, a day after he was identified in a report by MPs condemning an abuse campaign orchestrated by supporters of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Zac Goldsmith, who Johnson appointed to the House of Lords in 2019, announced his resignation as foreign environment minister in a stinging resignation letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Under Johnson, Britain has become a leader in climate change, environmental preservation, and animal welfare, according to Goldsmith.
“But I have been horrified as, bit by bit, we have abandoned these commitments — domestically and on the world stage,” he said, accusing Sunak of “apathy”.
Sunak, according to Goldsmith, decided to attend Rupert Murdoch’s annual summer party over an environmental gathering in Paris last week.
However, the timing of the resignation, only hours before Sunak was scheduled to attend a press conference, raised questions.
It came after the House of Commons privileges committee named Goldsmith as one of eight ardent Johnson supporters in parliament who attempted to undermine their “Partygate” inquiry on Thursday.
Sunak said that he had ordered Goldsmith to apologize because his comments criticizing the committee were “incompatible” with his ministerial responsibilities.
