The Northern Ireland Secretary Mr Peter Mandelson has resigned today over allegations of impropriety in the issuing of a British passport to an Indian businessman.
Announcing his resignation, Mr Mandelson said he did not accept he had acted "improperly in any way" but said he wanted to remove himself from the "countless stories and controversies of feuds and divisions" that have surrounded him.
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Peter Mandelson:
denied allegations yesterday |
"I do accept however that when my office spoke to a Sunday newspaper at the weekend I should have been clear that it was me personally, not my official, who spoke to the Home Office minister," he said.
Speaking on the pavement outside No 10, Mr Mandelson announced that his political swansong would be a final Northern Ireland Questions session this afternoon.
He would stay to support Mr Blair during Prime Minister's Question time and would then formally resign.
Mr Mandelson said it was the "greatest privilege" of his life to serve as Northern Ireland Secretary and be involved in the peace process, which was close to resolution.
Mr Srichand Hinduja was given British citizenship in 1998. Later he made a donation of £1 million to the London Millennium Dome project for which Mr Mandelson had been responsible.
Many newspapers accused Mandelson of failing to tell the truth about the matter after he first denied personally contacting another British minister over the passport application and then admitting that he had in fact done so.
(Additional reporting by PA)
