4 hours ago
photo released, Andrea Matteo
British Commerce Secretary Conor Burns was sacked by the government after a complaint of serious misconduct.
Burns, 50, was also removed from his leadership position in the Conservative Party during an investigation into allegations of inappropriate behavior believed to have occurred earlier this week.
The British government said: “The Prime Minister took direct action after being informed of this allegation.”
“I will cooperate fully with the party’s investigation and look forward to my clearance,” Burns said.
In a series of tweets, Burns made it clear that he had not received any information on the complaint and “I was not asked to provide any information”.
“I hope the party is as quick to conduct its investigations as it has to pass judgment,” he added.
“Following a complaint of serious misconduct, the Prime Minister asked Representative Conor Burns to leave his government post immediately,” the Prime Minister’s office said.
“It is clear that all ministers must maintain high standards of behavior, as the public rightly expects,” added a spokesperson for Liz Truss.
BBC political correspondent Leila NATO says Conor Burns, who is considered a key ally of Boris Johnson, has been Minister of Commerce for exactly a month, but is now out of government.
“But it is clear that Liz Truss wants to be seen acting swiftly against allegations of wrongdoing. She says her predecessor, Boris Johnson, has been criticized for taking so long to respond to allegations of inappropriate conduct.”
A spokesman for the Conservative Party’s disciplinary body said: “We have suspended your membership pending an investigation into allegations of inappropriate conduct earlier this week.”
“We take all these allegations very seriously. The Prime Minister has made it clear that we must uphold the highest standards in public life.”
“Just a month after her tenure as prime minister, Liz Truss’s government was hit with a scandal,” said deputy labor leader Angela Rayner. She added that she was “the latest in a long line of allegations of serious misconduct and raises serious questions not just about another minister but about the prime minister’s decision to refuse to appoint an independent moral adviser.”
Burns, who has been an MP for Bournemouth West since 2010, has served as a minister under Liz Terrace and Boris Johnson.
In 2020, he resigned as minister of Commerce after a parliamentary watchdog ruled that he had used his position to “intimidate a member of the public”.
He later returned to government as a minister in the Northern Ireland office and was engaged in this week’s discussions on the Northern Ireland Protocol.
photo released, PA Medium
In August, Burns attended the funeral of former Northern Ireland Prime Minister Lord Trimble, along with Prime Minister Michael Martin.
allegations of misconduct
Burns’ sacking is the latest in a series of scandals that have hit the Conservative Party.
Earlier this year, Tory deputy body in charge of discipline Chris Pincher was suspended from the party after allegedly molesting two men at a club, sparking a chain reaction that led Johnson to step down as Prime Minister. He denied the allegations.
Neil Parrish resigned as a Conservative MP in April after admitting to viewing pornography in the House of Commons.
Labor and Pensions Minister Victoria Prentice said the allegations were “clearly troubling” but was assured that the matter was being taken “very seriously”.
“I think all I can say is that the prime minister has taken decisive action and we will make sure that this is properly investigated,” he told Radio Times.
“In terms of politics as a whole, it is always worrying because we all expect and hope to maintain the highest standards in public life.”
Conservative MP Simon Hoare defended Burns, saying, “You can’t find someone who works harder, so I’m very sad that he lost his position in the government.” He told the BBC that he hoped Burns would return to government to continue “as an effective minister.” to do “quickly” and “assuming you are innocent until proven guilty”.
