Second British Foreign Office minister quits
Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta is received by the Foreign Office Minister of United Kingdom Mark Simmonds at Lancaster House in London to attend the Somalia Conference in the past. Mr Simmonds resigned Monday, barely a week after another Foreign Office minister quit over the government’s policy on Gaza. PHOTO | LAWRENCE MAINGI | FILE
What you need to know:
- Mr Simmonds had decided “some weeks ago” to leave but agreed to stay to chair a UN meeting on the Democratic Republic of Congo last Thursday, a spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron’s Downing Street office said.
- Despite the apparently amicable nature of his departure, it will be seen as a blow for the Foreign Office as it adapts to an overhaul of ministerial staff at a time of numerous international crises.
LONDON
Britain’s Africa minister Mark Simmonds resigned Monday, barely a week after another Foreign Office minister quit over the government’s policy on Gaza.
Officials insisted that Mr Simmonds’ decision was unrelated to that of Sayeeda Warsi, who quit last Tuesday in protest at the government’s failure to take a tougher line against Israel over its assault on Gaza.
Mr Simmonds had decided “some weeks ago” to leave but agreed to stay to chair a UN meeting on the Democratic Republic of Congo last Thursday, a spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron’s Downing Street office said.
FAMILY TIME
In his resignation letter, Mr Simmonds said he was “exceptionally proud” of the government’s achievements but said he wanted to spend more time with his family, and will be leaving parliament at the general election next year.
“There’s nothing suspicious about this resignation — there’s no difference between myself and the government on policy,” the outgoing minister later told the BBC.
Despite the apparently amicable nature of his departure, it will be seen as a blow for the Foreign Office as it adapts to an overhaul of ministerial staff at a time of numerous international crises.
Philip Hammond replaced William Hague as foreign secretary — the top job — in a reshuffle last month, which also saw Middle East minister Hugh Robertson replaced.
Of the seven ministers now at the Foreign Office, four have been in their post less than a month. In her resignation letter last week, Warsi praised Hague but said there was “great unease across the Foreign Office, amongst both ministers and senior officials, in the way recent decisions are being made”.
