Employment minister rebuffs calls in House to resign

Minister insists he will remain in his post despite growing pressure

Labour and the Scottish National Party (SNP) have called for the resignation of employment minister Justin Tomlinson, following his admission that he "inadvertently" broke lockdown rules last year. However, Tomlinson has insisted that he will remain in his post, saying that he had "made a mistake" but that it was "not intentional".

Minister’s lockdown breach

The calls for Tomlinson's resignation came after he admitted that he had visited his parents last Christmas, in breach of lockdown rules. Tomlinson said that he had made the visit to help his parents with their dog, and that he had not realised that he was breaking the rules. However, Labour and the SNP said that Tomlinson's actions were "unforgivable" and that he should resign.

Minister defiant

Despite the calls for his resignation, Tomlinson has insisted that he will remain in his post. He said that he had made a mistake, but that it was not intentional. He also said that he had "no intention" of resigning.

Opposition's response

Labour and the SNP have said that they will continue to call for Tomlinson's resignation. Labour's shadow employment minister, Andy McDonald, said that Tomlinson's actions were "a clear breach of the ministerial code". The SNP's Westminster leader, Ian Blackford, said that Tomlinson's "position is untenable".