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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Foreign Office minister resigns | Foreign Office minister resigns |
| (11 minutes later) | |
| Lord Malloch Brown, the minister for Africa, Asia and the United Nations, has resigned from the Government. | Lord Malloch Brown, the minister for Africa, Asia and the United Nations, has resigned from the Government. |
| In a statement, the minister said he had always maintained he would "never do the job forever". | In a statement, the minister said he had always maintained he would "never do the job forever". |
| He stated that "personal and family reasons" were behind his decision and stressed that his move was not motivated by the political situation. | He stated that "personal and family reasons" were behind his decision and stressed that his move was not motivated by the political situation. |
| Lord Malloch Brown said he "greatly admired" the prime minister and continued to support the government. | Lord Malloch Brown said he "greatly admired" the prime minister and continued to support the government. |
| "I came into government as a professional not a politician," he said. | |
| "My decision to step down at the end of July is not in any way a commentary on the political situation. | |
| "I joined the Government at his invitation to help promote his international priorities. It has been a great privilege to do that, and to work with him and with David Miliband." | |
| The peer worked under Kofi Annan as deputy secretary-general of the UN from April to December 2006 and was previously his right-hand man. | |
| He was also in charge of the UN Development Programme from July 1999 to August 2005. | |
| Gordon Brown's government has been hit by several, recent high-profile departures including Communities Secretary Hazel Blears and Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell. |