10/11/2006

Lord Sainsbury resigns as minister

Science Minister Lord Sainsbury has resigned from his post.

The former supermarket boss, one of the Labour party's biggest supporters, cited personal reasons for the decision to step down from the government post.

However, the surprise move by Lord Sainsbury, 66, is likely to generate speculation that it has been prompted by the cash for peerages scandal.

He was forced to apologise for unintentionally misleading the public over a claim that he had declared a loan to the Labour party.

It emerged later that he had failed to notify officials of the £2m loan to the party.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville was granted a peerage in 1997 and was appointed as Science Minister in 1998.

(SP/EF)

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