A Tory spokesman on Northern Ireland has resigned his front bench seat, citing the party's "hard-line" approach to the single European currency as the reason for his departure. The MP, Mr Ian Taylor, sent his letter of resignation to the party leader, Mr William Hague, shortly after questions on Northern Ireland in the House of Commons yesterday.
In his letter Mr Taylor said: "We now seem to be deliberately presenting the Labour government as determined to `abolish' the pound, with the Conservatives as the party entirely committed to saving sterling. This is a false and dangerous dividing line."
Last night, Mr Malcolm Moss, MP for North East Cambridgeshire, was appointed to take Mr Taylor's place on the front bench.