Resignation: Tory Minister Zac Goldsmith Publicly Clashed With Rishi Sunak

In a letter released by Downing Street, it was revealed that Mr Sunak asked Tory minister Zac Goldsmith to apologise to the committee, but he refused.

The Tory minister Zac Goldsmith has publicly clashed with Rishi Sunak after resigning from the government with an attack on the prime minister's "apathy" towards the environment. 

Mr Sunak accused the Conservative peer of quitting rather than apologising for his role in a campaign to undermine a parliamentary committee's probe into Boris Johnson.

Lord Goldsmith hit out at "misleading" remarks from No 10 and insisted he was "happy to apologise" for his criticism of the privileges committee's investigation that found Mr Johnson lied to MPs over COVID lockdown-breaking parties at Downing Street. 

The close ally of Mr Johnson, who appointed him to the Lords, has quit his environmental role, claiming Mr Sunak was "simply uninterested" in the issue. 

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The day before, the Tory peer, an ex-MP, was chastised by the privileges committee for tweeting about its finding that the former prime minister had lied to parliament about the parties. 

Mr Sunak wrote to the peer: "You were asked to apologise for your comments about the privileges committee as we felt they were incompatible with your position as a minister of the crown. You have decided to take a different course." 

The prime minister then said that he was "proud of the record of this government and indeed of Zac in government making sure that we tackle climate change and protect our natural environment". 

Lord Goldsmith later claimed he was "happy to apologise for publicly sharing my views". 

He added: "Number 10 asked me to acknowledge that and made clear there was no question of my being sacked if I did so. I was - and am - happy to do so." 

In his resignation post on social media, Lord Goldsmith characterised their inquiry as a "kangaroo court" and "witch hunt" - but Mr Sunak's spokesman insisted the PM still had confidence in the minister.

Just 24 hours after the comments were highlighted, Lord Goldsmith resigned his post with a stinging resignation letter, taking aim at the current incumbent at Number 10.

The Tory peer said it had been an "exhilarating experience" in the job, praising the progress the UK had made in leading on climate change internationally - particularly when Mr Johnson was in office.

But Lord Goldsmith said he had been "horrified" by the government's "abandonment" of policies around animal welfare, and that its efforts on environmental issues at home had "simply ground to a standstill".