LONDON - The erstwhile work and pensions secretary David Blunkett has acknowledged the role played by the media in the unsavory fracas that ultimately led to his resignation today. This is the second time that Blunkett has been forced to resign form the Blair cabinet.
The first time was in December last year when he stepped down as the home secretary after it emerged that he had fast-tracked a visa application of his lover's former nanny.
This time though it was Mr. Blunkett's two-week directorship of DNA Bioscience that caused his exit. He took on the position before the May election when he was out of the cabinet and did not consult an independent committee on whether he should take up the job. This committee advises former ministers on the feasibility of taking jobs before joining the cabinet.
"What I am clear about is that I have made a mistake," Blunkett said at a hastily convened press meet the Foreign Press Association in Whitehall. "Was I at fault not writing to the committee?" he asked. "Yes, I was. It was the same fault on three occasions arising from the same misunderstanding by me. I have to take the consequences of that, which is why I am standing down today."
Blunkett categorically denied that he had done anything wrong by buying shares in DNA Bioscience. He said his decision to step down was influenced by the fact that he did not want to cause further embarrassment to Prime Minister Tony Blair, who has stood by him through the crisis.
"It's the prime minister that some people wish to target. I wish to support him, I wish him to continue taking forward the modernization," Blunkett stressed. Critics have slammed Blair's handling of the whole situation. Tory leader Michael Howard has dubbed Blair as a "lame duck" Prime Minister.
Meanwhile, DNA Bioscience announced that another director Lucy Siddiqi has quit the firm on Monday, "Lucy Siddiqi has resigned as a director of the company due to the considerable pressure brought upon Lucy and her family under the current intense media attention."
Posted
on : Thu, 03 Nov 2005 10:25 GMT | Politics News
By : Pippa Fielding
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David Blunkett: Resignation letter