Mr Johnson’s ethics adviser said he resigned when the Prime Minister forced him into an “impossible and odious” position by considering action risking a deliberate breach of his own ministerial code.
Lord Geidt said in his resignation letter that he had been only credibly clinging onto the role of ministerial interests adviser “by a very small margin” over Partygate.
And GB News viewers appear to agree with the former royal aide that he was right to step down.
The People's Channel published a poll on Twitter today, with the question: Do you think Lord Geidt is right to resign as Boris Johnson's ethics adviser?
Of the 1,906 respondents, 58.3 percent voted "yes" while just 41.7 percent voted "no".
Lord Christopher Geidt, who has stepped down from his position as Boris Johnson's adviser on ministers' interests
Dominic Lipinski
GB News poll on Lord Geidt's resignation
GB News
The move represents yet another blow for the embattled PM.
Lord Geidt said he was forced to quit when he was tasked with offering a view on the Government’s “intention to consider measures which risk a deliberate and purposeful breach of the ministerial code”.
The Prime Minister’s response indicated that it ultimately came over advice relating to the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA).
Downing Street said Mr Johnson was reviewing whether or not to fill the vacant position, and declined to comment on suggestions the plan related to maintain tariffs on Chinese steel.
This was allegedly despite such a move possibly breaching World Trade Organisation (WTO) commitments.
In the letter published on Thursday, Lord Geidt wrote: “This request has placed me in an impossible and odious position.”
He said the idea that the Prime Minister “might to any degree be in the business of deliberately breaching his own code is an affront” that would suspend the code “to suit a political end”.
He added: “This would make a mockery not only of respect for the code but licence the suspension of its provisions in governing the conduct of Her Majesty’s ministers.
“I can have no part in this.”
