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| Grant Shapps quits amid Tory bullying claims | Grant Shapps quits amid Tory bullying claims |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Grant Shapps has quit as international development minister amid allegations of bullying in the Conservative Party, the BBC understands. | Grant Shapps has quit as international development minister amid allegations of bullying in the Conservative Party, the BBC understands. |
| Claims have engulfed the Tories following the apparent suicide in September of activist Elliott Johnson. | |
| Mr Johnson's father had called on Mr Shapps, a former party co-chairman, to resign over claims he ignored repeated warnings about the actions of party youth organiser Mark Clarke. | |
| Mr Clarke has denied any wrongdoing. | Mr Clarke has denied any wrongdoing. |
| The party has been subject to allegations of bullying, sexual assault and intimidation since Mr Johnson, 21, was found dead. | The party has been subject to allegations of bullying, sexual assault and intimidation since Mr Johnson, 21, was found dead. |
| Prime Minister David Cameron said it was a "tragic loss of a talented young life". | Prime Minister David Cameron said it was a "tragic loss of a talented young life". |
| Downing Street said the prime minister was awaiting the results of an internal investigation but Mr Johnson's father has called for an independent and external inquiry. | Downing Street said the prime minister was awaiting the results of an internal investigation but Mr Johnson's father has called for an independent and external inquiry. |
| 'Media firestorm' | |
| Mr Clarke was in charge of a campaigning initiative which bussed young volunteers around the country. | |
| Earlier this month, he was banned for life from the Conservative Party. | Earlier this month, he was banned for life from the Conservative Party. |
| He says he strongly rejects all allegations of bullying, harassment, assault or attempted blackmail. | He says he strongly rejects all allegations of bullying, harassment, assault or attempted blackmail. |
| "I believe that these false allegations and this media firestorm are related to the events surrounding Elliott's sad death," he said. | "I believe that these false allegations and this media firestorm are related to the events surrounding Elliott's sad death," he said. |
| "As such I will be co-operating with the coroner and providing him with the fullest information. This is the proper process. After the inquest I will look to take legal action for defamation in respect of these allegations." | "As such I will be co-operating with the coroner and providing him with the fullest information. This is the proper process. After the inquest I will look to take legal action for defamation in respect of these allegations." |
| 'No confidence' | |
| The Conservative Party has said that it received no written complaints until this summer about Mr Clarke's behaviour. | The Conservative Party has said that it received no written complaints until this summer about Mr Clarke's behaviour. |
| However, former chairwoman Baroness Warsi says she wrote to Mr Shapps, her successor, in January asking for action to be taken against Mr Clarke. | However, former chairwoman Baroness Warsi says she wrote to Mr Shapps, her successor, in January asking for action to be taken against Mr Clarke. |
| Mr Johnson also says he had no confidence in current party chairman Lord Feldman, who is conducting the internal inquiry and called for him to stand down from his position amid claims he too did not respond to warnings about Mr Clarke. | |
| Labour says the row raises questions about how the Conservative Party conducts itself and said Lord Feldman has "serious questions to answer about when exactly he was made aware of concerns". | |
| Shadow minister Jonathan Ashworth said: "Every day seems to bring new questions with suggestions that warnings of bullying were ignored by senior Conservatives. | |
| "We need a fully independent inquiry - not one led by a Tory insider - to look at culture and practices." | |
| Mr Shapps was appointed international development minister after the Tory election victory in May. | |
| MP for Welwyn Hatfield since 2005, he was housing minister in the coalition government and two years later became co-chairman of the Conservative Party and a Cabinet Office minister. |