HEXHAM MP Guy Opperman has resigned from Boris Johnson's government. 

The former pensions minister will continue to serve local constituents from the backbenches. 

Mr Opperman announced his resignation on Twitter with his letter to the prime minister.

He said: "It has been a honour, and a great responsibility, to serve as a minister, but we need leadership change, and I have resigned.

"I will continue to work for my constituents in Hexham from the backbenches. 

"I resign with great regret, given there are serious ongoing issues that need addressing ranging from cost of living support, to legislation, and parliamentary debates.

"It should not take the resignation of 50 colleagues, but sadly the PM has left us no choice. He needs to resign."

Hexham Courant:

Hexham Constituency Labour Party has welcomed Mr Opperman's resignation from his role as pensions minister.

A spokesman said: "The voters of Hexham will note that he was the 51st person to resign during the latest crisis engulfing this incompetent government.

"His support for Boris Johnson to the bitter end has enabled an alarming collapse in standards in public life and the associated chaos that will affect all of us. His decision demonstrates blatant self-interest rather than serving the best interests of the people of Hexham.

"Mr Opperman said nothing about Party Gate, Russian donations, sewage in rivers, the cost of living crisis, heating or eating, and many other issues that in any normal political party could be resignation issues.

"On every issue, he said nothing. Hexham deserves better. Mr Opperman cannot claim he speaks for the people of Hexham constituency because he says nothing.

"We look forward to an early General Election to give the voters of Hexham the opportunity to remove Mr Opperman and elect a Labour MP."

Northumberland Labour leader Scott Dickinson added: "I am pleased to see an end brought to the embarrassing position the PM found himself in.

"You cannot carry on with a string of lies, dishonesty and contempt for the British people. Ordinary people are demanding change and rightly so. 

"It's a pity it's taken so long with Guy Opperman to resign, why wasn’t all the Party Gate and other untruths enough, why did it need to stoop to the depths of sexual allegations of a person appointed by the PM? It’s a moral stance too late, that appears only to be taken in the final moments knowing the PM was going anyway."