BORIS Johnson's former ethics adviser Lord Geidt has accused the prime minister of asking him to sanction a "deliberate" breach of the ministerial code of conduct.

This statement came in Lord Geidt's resignation letter after he stepped down from his position yesterday (Wednesday, June 15).

The news comes after he declined to deny to MPs whether he had considered resigning over Mr Johnson’s response to being fined for breaching lockdown rules.

Lord Geidt told the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee yesterday that he had felt “frustration” over the partygate scandal.

“I am glad that the prime minister was able to respond to my report and in doing so addressed aspects of the things about which I was clearly frustrated,” he told the committee.

“Resignation is one of the rather blunt but few tools available to the adviser. I am glad that my frustrations were addressed in the way that they were.”

What did Lord Geidt say in his resignation letter?

Lord Geidt gave more insight into his departure in his resignation letter directly addressed to Mr Johnson, saying that he had been "frustrated" by the investigation.

At first Lord Geidt had been "satisfied" with Mr Johnson's response to his Annual Report saying he had not broken the Ministerial Code but had failed to address the criticism in Sue Gray’s report about his adherence to the Nolan Principles, particularly on leadership.

He went on: "This week, however, I was tasked to offer a view about the Government’s intention to consider measures which risk a deliberate and purposeful breach of the Ministerial Code. This request has placed me in an impossible and odious position.

"My informal response on Monday was that you and any other Minister should justify openly your position vis-a-vis the Code in such circumstances. However, the idea that a Prime Minister might to any degree be in the business of deliberately breaching his own Code is an affront.

"A deliberate breach, or even an intention to do so, would be to suspend the provisions of the Code to suit a political end. This would make a mockery not only of respect for the Code but licence the suspension of its provisions in governing the conduct of Her Majesty’s Ministers.

"I can have no part in this. Because of my obligation as a witness in Parliament, this is the first opportunity I have had to act on the Government’s intentions. I therefore resign from this appointment with immediate effect."