BORIS JOHNSON considered action risking a deliberate breach of his own ministerial code, the Prime Minister’s ethics adviser said, as he quit the “impossible and odious” position.

Lord Geidt said in his resignation letter to the PM that he has been only credibly clinging onto the role “by a very small margin” over the partygate scandal, it was revealed today.

But the ministerial interests adviser said the final straw was when he was tasked with offering a view on the government’s “intention to consider measures which risk a deliberate and purposeful breach of the ministerial code.”

Lord Geidt said that the idea that the PM “might to any degree be in the business of deliberately breaching his own code is an affront.”

“A deliberate breach, or even an intention to do so, would be to suspend the provisions of the code to suit a political end,” he wrote.

“This would make a mockery not only of respect for the code but licence the suspension of its provisions in governing the conduct of Her Majesty’s ministers.

“I can have no part in this.”

Lord Geidt’s resignation on Wednesday came after he told MPs it was “reasonable” to suggest Mr Johnson broke the ministerial code by being fined by police for breaching Covid-19 laws.

The Prime Minister’s response indicated that the resignation was relating to advice on the Trade Remedies Authority.

Mr Johnson said his intention was to seek Lord Geidt’s “advice on the national interest in protecting a crucial industry” that is “protected in other European countries and would suffer material harm if we do not continue to apply such tariffs.”

He insisted the matter has previously had cross-party support and that the request would be in line with domestic law “but might be seen to conflict” with Britain’s obligations under the World Trade Organisation.

Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said: “[Lord Geidt] has now followed both his predecessor and the anti-corruption tsar out of the door in disgust.

“There are now no ethics left in this Downing Street regime propped up in office by a Conservative Party mired in sleaze and totally unable to tackle the cost-of-living crisis facing the British people.”

Ms Rayner said Tory MPs should “do the right thing” and remove Mr Johnson from office.

Downing Street insisted the dispute was not linked to the financial interests of any minister.