This was agreed at the time of the recent reshuffle. Mark Simmonds stayed on after the reshuffle to complete a project and left for family reasons.
He is resigning as an MP at the next election.
It's a bigger role than that. Mark Simmonds was Minister for Africa, Overseas Territories, the Caribbean, Climate Change and International Energy. Mark Simmonds last project was to do with working with the security council concerning conflict in Africa I believe.
scooping. He actually said he could not get a flat that was large enough for him and his family. This meant he spent a lot of time away from his family. His original decision was to resign as an MP at the next election. At the reshuffle he informed the PM he would resign his ministers post but was asked to stay on to chair the Security Council session on conflict in Africa. This is now complete. James Duddridge is the replacement
It seems I may have been slightly too harsh on this chap, but why couldn't he have waited until next May ? He will have lots of ex-Tory MP's to play with then !
/// It seems I may have been slightly too harsh on this chap, but why couldn't he have waited until next May ? He will have lots of ex-Tory MP's to play with then ! ///
I have heard Eddie Mair interview this chap on PM. He came over as quite nice, rather decent really but a bit naive. He represents a constituency a long way from London but wasn't aware of how working such a distance away would affect his family life.
And I still don't see why he couldn't have waited until next May. There would appear to be more to this story than meets the eye. There is an certain atmosphere of Baroness Warsi hanging over this feast.