British Brexit minister David Frost has resigned from the cabinet and will depart in the new year, Trend reports citing Xinhua.
Mail on Sunday said in an exclusive that "Frost has sensationally resigned from Boris Johnson's government," due to his "disillusionment" with Johnson's government, including the imposition of tax rises and additional COVID-19 restrictions, as well as the staggering cost of "net zero" environmental policies.
The newspaper added that Frost quit in a letter to the prime minister last week, but won't officially leave until January.
Labor's shadow Brexit minister, Jenny Chapman, tweeted: "As if we didn't already know, Lord Frost resigning shows the government's in chaos. The country needs leadership not a lame duck PM whose MPs and cabinet have lost faith in him. Boris Johnson needs to apologise to the public and explain what his plan is for the next few weeks."
Frost's departure is yet another blow to Johnson whose leadership has come under attack even from his own rebellious backbench MPs (Members of Parliament).
Earlier this week, 99 Conservative MPs voted against stricter COVID-19 controls announced by Johnson. The legislation paving the way for stricter measures only got through the House of Commons (the lower house of the British Parliament) with support from the main opposition Labor Party. It was the biggest backbench rebellion of Johnson's premiership.
The Conservatives were also hit by revelations of party workers holding Downing Street parties around last December's festive period when the country was in a strict government-imposed COVID-19 lockdown.
Scandals and criticism of Johnson's handling of COVID-19 have sent the Conservatives' approval ratings to their lowest level since Johnson became prime minister. Latest polls have put the main opposition Labor Party ahead of the Conservatives.
The Conservative Party lost a parliamentary seat in the North Shropshire by-election on Friday, a "safe" seat that the party had held for nearly 200 years.