British Prime Minister Liz Truss on Friday dismissed a minister over allegations of “gross inappropriate behaviour”.
Downing Street issued a statement saying that Truss had asked Trade Policy Minister Conor Burns to “leave the government immediately.”
“The Prime Minister took direct action upon being informed of this allegation and is clear that all ministers maintain high standards of behaviour, as the public expects,” the statement added.
Burns was temporarily removed from the Conservative party’s bloc in Parliament. Conor Burns was Parliamentary Private Secretary and Assistant to Boris Johnson when he was British Foreign Secretary.
Whips, the office responsible for discipline within each party in Britain’s parliament, said it had pursued “allegations of inappropriate conduct earlier this week”.
“We take all these allegations very seriously. The Prime Minister has been clear regarding upholding the highest standards in public life,” he added.
British media quoted Burns as saying he would cooperate with the investigation and look to clear himself.
The announcement caps a frenetic week for the Conservatives following a tumultuous annual conference during which Terrace and her government’s Finance Minister Kwasi Quarting defended their economic plan, which has sparked widespread criticism, turmoil in financial markets and angered Britons facing a rising cost of living crisis.
Terrace became Britain’s prime minister in September following her predecessor, Boris Johnson, was forced to step down following losing the confidence of senior ministers due to a wave of corruption, nepotism and violation of restrictions to contain the spread of the Covid-19 outbreak.
In May, a Conservative MP resigned following admitting to watching pornography in the House of Commons, while another was arrested on suspicion of rape and sexual assault.
