The ten greatest political resignations

The first rule of politics is never resign. Yet hapless MPs have been forced to quit in scandals involving sex, theft, drugs, double-crossing call girls and even attempted murder. Others have staged kamikaze resignations to damage their own leaders. Then there are the canny operators who took principled stands, ending up on the right side of history. As speculation rises that the resignation of a cabinet ‘big beast’ could yet again be the catalyst that sparks a coup against the current Prime Minister, here is your guide to the best and worst of Britain’s political departures:

1) John Profumo

The scandal that had it all. John Profumo, a Tory minister, was forced to resign in 1963 after lying to the House about his affair with former call girl Christine Keeler, who was two timing him with a Russian spy. The ensuing outrage led to ten years of repressed gossip being pasted across the frontpages.