A British government minister on Saturday resigned over allegations that bullying by a party activist he appointed was a key factor in the suicide of another young activist.
Grant Shapps, former British minister of state for international development and a former Conservative party chairman, had last year appointed Mark Clarke as a youth campaign organizer.
Elliott Johnson, a 21-year-old former writer for a Conservative party blog, alleged he had been bullied by Clarke in a suicide note found after he had killed himself by lying down in front of a train in September.
Photo: Reuters
Clarke, who was expelled from the party, denies any wrongdoing.
In a resignation letter to British Prime Minister David Cameron, Shapps said that although no written allegations were made against Clarke’s conduct in the past, “the steady stream of those who raised smaller, more nuanced, objections should have perhaps set alarm bells ringing sooner.”
“Given the very serious nature of what has subsequently occurred and my role in appointing Mr Clarke, I cannot help but conclude that the only right course of action is for me to step down as a minister in your government,” Shapps said.
Cameron accepted Shapps’ resignation and praised his work for the party, adding that he has “much more to give in the years ahead.”
According to an investigation by the Guardian newspaper, Johnson had written a formal letter of complaint to the Conservative Party, alleging Clarke had publicly pinned him in his chair, shouted abuse at him and threatened to “squash him like an ant.”
Speaking to the newspaper, Johnson’s father, Ray Johnson, responded to Shapps’ resignation.
“It’s about time, he should have resigned several weeks ago. It’s typical of these politicians, they cling on to the greasy pole for as long as they can,” Ray Johnson said.
Shapps has been replaced by Nick Hurd as minister for international development.
A new online voting system aimed at boosting turnout among the Philippines’ millions of overseas workers ahead of Monday’s mid-term elections has been marked by confusion and fears of disenfranchisement. Thousands of overseas Filipino workers have already cast their ballots in the race dominated by a bitter feud between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and his impeached vice president, Sara Duterte. While official turnout figures are not yet publicly available, data from the Philippine Commission on Elections (COMELEC) showed that at least 134,000 of the 1.22 million registered overseas voters have signed up for the new online system, which opened on April 13. However,
EUROPEAN FUTURE? Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama says only he could secure EU membership, but challenges remain in dealing with corruption and a brain drain Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama seeks to win an unprecedented fourth term, pledging to finally take the country into the EU and turn it into a hot tourist destination with some help from the Trump family. The artist-turned-politician has been pitching Albania as a trendy coastal destination, which has helped to drive up tourism arrivals to a record 11 million last year. US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also joined in the rush, pledging to invest US$1.4 billion to turn a largely deserted island into a luxurious getaway. Rama is expected to win another term after yesterday’s vote. The vote would
ALLIES: Calling Putin his ‘old friend,’ Xi said Beijing stood alongside Russia ‘in the face of the international counter-current of unilateralism and hegemonic bullying’ Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) yesterday was in Moscow for a state visit ahead of the Kremlin’s grand Victory Day celebrations, as Ukraine accused Russia’s army of launching air strikes just hours into a supposed truce. More than 20 foreign leaders were in Russia to attend a vast military parade today marking 80 years since the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, taking place three years into Russia’s offensive in Ukraine. Putin ordered troops into Ukraine in February 2022 and has marshaled the memory of Soviet victory against Nazi Germany to justify his campaign and rally society behind the offensive,
Myanmar’s junta chief met Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) for the first time since seizing power, state media reported yesterday, the highest-level meeting with a key ally for the internationally sanctioned military leader. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing led a military coup in 2021, overthrowing Myanmar’s brief experiment with democracy and plunging the nation into civil war. In the four years since, his armed forces have battled dozens of ethnic armed groups and rebel militias — some with close links to China — opposed to its rule. The conflict has seen Min Aung Hlaing draw condemnation from rights groups and pursued by the
RSS