UK Trade Minister Conor Burns Sacked Over ‘Serious Misconduct’ Allegation

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International trade minister Conor Burns has been sacked from the government following “acomplaint of serious misconduct,” Downing Street said on Friday.

Burns was also suspended from the Conservative Party pending an “investigation into allegations of inappropriate behavior earlier this week.”

The nature of the allegation is unclear.

The MP for Bournemouth West, who has held the seat since 2010, said he will cooperate fully with the probe and is looking forward to clearing his name.

He also accused the Conservative Party of rushing to judgement.

A spokesperson for 10 Downing Street said: “Following a complaint of serious misconduct, the prime minister has asked Conor Burns MP to leave the government with immediate effect.

The prime minister took direct action on being informed of this allegation and is clear that all ministers should maintain the high standards of behavior as the public rightly expects.

A spokesman for the Whips Office said: We have suspended the whip pending investigation into allegations of inappropriate behavior earlier this week.

We take all such allegations extremely seriously. The prime minister has been clear that the highest standards in public life must be upheld.

Writing on Twitter on Friday evening, Burns said he received a call from Chief Whip Wendy Morton earlier in the day.

“Ms Morton informed me that a complaint had been received about me and she had passed it to Conservative Campaign Headquarters to investigate. I was not given any information about the complaint nor was I asked to provide any information,” he wrote.

“On the basis of this complaint Ms Morton told me that the Whip was being withdrawn and that I was standing down as Trade Minister. I will fully cooperate with the Party’s inquiry and look forward to clearing my name.

“I hope the party will be as quick to conduct their inquiry as they were to rush to judgement,” he added.

Allegations against another MP triggered the unraveling of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s leadership in July.

Following sexual misconduct allegations against then-Conservative Party deputy chief whip Chris Pincher, the Whip’s Office was criticized for taking too long to suspend Pincher.

After it was revealed that there had been previous allegations against Pincher, Downing Street said Johnson was not aware of specific allegations against Pincher before appointing him deputy chief whip, but later admitted that Johnson was aware of allegations that were either resolved or did not progress to a formal lament.

On July 7, Johnson announced he was stepping down as prime minister after more than 50 government ministers resigned in protest.

PA Media contributed to this report.

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Lily Zhou is an Irish-based reporter focusing on UK news. Lily first joined the Chinese edition of The Epoch Times before turning her focus on the UK in 2020. Contact Lily at [email protected]

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