The Labour MP Caroline Flint said today that she resigned as a minister after her loyalty was questioned by the Prime Minister.
Ms Flint quit as Europe Minister last Friday, accusing Gordon Brown in a particularly venomous resignation letter of using his women ministers as “female window dressing”. She also accused him of running a “two-tier” government.
The MP for Don Valley told GMTV: “The reason I resigned was because I did not feel that the Prime Minster had full confidence in my loyalty.”
In the days preceding her resignation, there were numerous press reports linking Ms Flint with two other departing ministers, Hazel Blears and Jacqui Smith, and suggesting a WAGs’ – Women Against Gordon – plot.
Ms Flint said that in a conversation with Mr Brown, “individual names were mentioned to me that were seen to be part of a plot against the Prime Minister and my loyalty was questioned”.
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In her first television interview since her resignation, she added: “I wasn’t implicated in a plot, there was negative briefing. I would like to see an end to this anonymous briefing against ministers.
“I had no intention of resigning last week, it was really just following a conversation with the Prime Minister when my loyalty was being questioned which concerned me.”
Ms Flint said that while her loyalty was in question she did not feel she could contribute effectively to government.
She added: “There is quite a narrow group of people who seem to have a lot of the Prime Minster’s time, while others outside that group do not get the same access.
“At the end of the day it’s not about my job, it’s not about promotion, it’s about whether we as a government are working together to meet the concerns of the people I meet in my constituency.”
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Asked if she could say that the Prime Minister was not “sexist” she said: “I think in politics women are in a minority and men dominate at every level. I just think we need to be very active to make sure we hear women’s voices as well.”
It is thought Ms Flint walked out after being denied a promotion to the Cabinet which she apparently believed she had been promised following a declaration of loyalty.
Ms Flint sent her blistering resignation letter less than 24 hours after she appeared on television to defend Mr Brown following the resignations of Ms Blears, the Communities Secretary, the Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell.
She said: “There were a whole lot of stories in the newspapers suggesting that I was part of some plot, which I wasn’t. For me one of the concerning factors in this was the negative briefing against ministers and I think the people doing this think they are doing the Prime Minister a favour when in fact they are not.
“I was asked to kill the story by doing that interview, which I did because I wanted to kill the story.”
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But she said when her loyalty was still questioned after her statement of support she decided to resign.
Ms Flint also defended her decision to pose for a glamorous photoshoot in the Observer magazine which apparently agitated Downing Street.
She said that magazine interviews and photographs showing ministers doing everyday activities that made them seem more accessible were, “actively encouraged”.
“That is why I think it is a bit hypocritical to slate you afterwards. We are not all the same as women, but there is a shared experience.”