Hereford MP resigns as minister

Hereford and South Herefordshire MP Jesse Norman has resigned from the government.

This morning (November 13) the former minister for decarbonisation and technology at the Department for Transport tweeted: “Very grateful to the Prime Minister for accepting my resignation.

“Having laid the ZEV [zero-emission vehicles] mandate and framed the Automated Vehicles Bill, this is the right time to step down.

“Looking forward to more freedom to campaign on the River #Wye and other crucial local and national issues!”

His tweet includes a copy of the letter he sent to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, which says he had already let the Conservatives’ Chief Whip know of his intention to resign “some months ago”.

With an implied note of finality, it says: “It has been a great honour to serve in successive governments since 2016, as a Minister at BEIS [the former Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy] and DfT [the Department for Transport], as Paymaster General and Financial Secretary to the Treasury, as Minister of State at FCDO [the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office]; and to work directly with you at the Treasury in managing the Furlough Scheme, to set up the UK Infrastructure Bank, to introduce the first training programme for Ministers, and to support my wife Kate Bingham in her work on the Vaccine Task Force.”

He added: “Thank you for the calm, focused and long term leadership you have given this country over the past year.”

The move coincides with a Cabinet reshuffle by the Prime Minister which has seen former Prime Minister David Cameron brought back in as foreign secretary, with James Cleverly moved over to replace controversial Home Secretary Suella Braverman.

Schools minister Nick Gibb and public health minister Neil O’Brien have meanwhile also tendered their resignations.

Mr Norman has been approached for further comment.