Lord Sewel resigns after 'drugs' video: House of Lords member's resignation letter in full

Former deputy speaker of the House of Lords resigned following a Sun scoop

Lord Sewel has now resigned (Suzanne Hubbard.PA)

Lord Sewel has resigned from the House of Lords after a video emerged of him allegedly taking drugs with prostitutes.

The life peer tendered his resignation to the House of Lords following reports that he cavorted with prostitutes and inhaled a powder from the body of one of the women using a £5 note.

In the letter to the Clerk of Parliament, the former deputy speaker of the House of Lords said he hoped his resignation would “limit and help repair” the damage caused.

Read the letter in full below:

I have today written to the Clerk of the Parliaments terminating my membership of the House of Lords.

The question of whether my behaviour breached the Code of Conduct is important, but essentially technical.

The bigger questions are whether my behaviour is compatible with membership of the House of Lords and whether my continued membership would damage and undermine public confidence in the House of Lords.

I believe the answer to both these questions means that I can best serve the House by leaving it.

As a subordinate, second chamber the House of Lords is an effective, vital but undervalued part of our political system.

I hope my decision will limit and help repair the damage I have done to an institution I hold dear. Finally, I want to apologise for the pain and embarrassment I have caused.