Rishi Sunak says Lord Zac Goldsmith refused to apologise for attempting to influence Privileges Committee

Rishi Sunak has said Lord Zac Goldsmith refused to apologise for his part in a campaign to undermine an investigation into Boris Johnson, resulting in the Foreign Office minister and peer resigning from government.

It comes after Lord Goldsmith launched a scathing attack on the Government’s environmental “apathy” alongside the announcement of his resignation.

A number of MPs and Peers were singled out for unprecedented criticism in a report by the Privileges Committee, and accused of trying to undermine the committee’s investigation into Johnson.

Sunak accused of ‘climate apathy’

The ally of the former Prime Minister dramatically quit his Foreign Office role today (30 June), accusing Sunak of being “simply uninterested” in tackling the climate crisis.

However, the Prime Minister hit back by claiming that Lord Goldsmith had been asked to apologise over his comments about the Privileges Committee inquiry that found Johnson lied to MPs with his partygate denials.

Sunak noted the Tory peer “decided to take a different course” but said the apology was necessary because his remarks were “incompatible” with his position as a minister.

Lord Goldsmith, who was handed his peerage by Johnson, announced his resignation a day after being named by the Privileges Committee as one of eight parliamentarians who had launched “attacks” on its work.

Writing to Sunak, the Tory peer who had the environment in his brief as a minister in the Foreign Office, said he had been “able to get so much done previously” but has “struggled even to hold the line in recent months”.

“The problem is not that the Government is hostile to the environment, it is that you, our Prime Minister, are simply uninterested,” Lord Goldsmith wrote.

“That signal, or lack of it, has trickled down through Whitehall and caused a kind of paralysis. This Government’s apathy in the face of the greatest challenge we have faced makes continuing in my current role untenable.”

Sunak’s attempt to portray his Government as working to fix the problems in the NHS with a workforce plan on Friday was rocked by the resignation.

“Thank you for your letter. I accept your resignation,” Sunak responded to Lord Goldsmith.

“You were asked to apologise for your comments about the Privileges Committee as we felt they were incompatible with your position as a minister of the crown. You have decided to take a different course.”

Sunak defended his “proud” track record at a Downing Street press conference on the NHS, saying the UK will continue to play a “leadership role globally” on the environment.

‘The Conservatives are in disarray’

In a report on Thursday (29 June) accusing the group of MPs and peers of a campaign to interfere with its work, the Privileges Committee cited a retweet posted by Lord Goldsmith in June which suggested it was a witch hunt and a kangaroo court

Lord Goldsmith added: “Exactly this. There was only ever going to be one outcome and the evidence was totally irrelevant to it.”

Downing Street sources told the PA news agency Lord Goldsmith was asked to apologise on Thursday afternoon after featuring in the damning report.

Until he quit, Downing Street had been saying the Prime Minister had full confidence in him as a minister despite the findings.

The committee said the Commons should consider whether the actions of MPs involved, including staunch Johnson loyalists Nadine Dorries and Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, amounted to contempt of Parliament, as well as what further action to take.

Labour’s shadow environment secretary Jim McMahon said: “Rishi Sunak’s weakness is laid bare as 24 hours after he refused to condemn Zac Goldsmith, Goldsmith scathingly condemns him.

“This ‘simply uninterested’ Prime Minister can’t lead his own team, never mind lead the country.

“The Conservatives are in disarray – with mortgages soaring, NHS waiting lists rocketing, and in their own words: ‘Apathy in the face of the greatest challenge we face’.”

The Liberal Democrats said the Prime Minister should have “had the guts” to sack Lord Goldsmith the day before his ministerial resignation following his “brutal” censure.

Sarah Olney, the party’s Treasury spokeswoman, said: “This Conservative chaos is never-ending.

“Every day brings more resignations and scandal in this depressing Westminster soap opera. Rishi Sunak should have had the guts to sack Zac Goldsmith yesterday when he was brutally criticised by the partygate watchdog. Sunak is clearly too weak to control his own party.”

Johnson and his allies have been creating a steady stream of headaches for Sunak, with the former prime minister resigning as an MP in anticipation of the Privileges Committee report.

Nigel Adams followed him out of the Commons, setting up two challenging by-elections for the Conservatives at a time when they are trailing far behind in the polls.

Dorries, perhaps the former PM’s staunchest ally, also announced her intention to quit with “immediate effect” but is yet to do so formally as she seeks answers over the peerage she never received.