Dominic Raab has said he does not know why Boris Johnson’s ethics adviser quit – as Number 10 came under pressure to explain what was behind the decision.
Mr Raab batted off the suggestion that the departure of Lord Geidt reflected badly on the prime minister in an interview with Sky News – and said Downing Street would provide an update later.
The deputy prime minister pointed instead to the “grilling” that Lord Geidt had in front of a select committee this week and advice he had been asked for on a “commercially sensitive” matter as potential factors.
Politics Hub: Number 10 taken aback by resignation of ethics adviser
Lord Geidt’s decision is said to have taken Downing Street by surprise and follows the exit of Sir Alex Allan, his predecessor in the role, in 2020, and the resignation of the prime minister’s anti-corruption champion, John Penrose, last week.
Last month, Lord Geidt had said there was a “legitimate question” over whether the prime minister broke…
