British defence secretary Michael Fallon quit on Wednesday saying his conduct had fallen below the high standards demanded of his position, the first resignation in a sexual harassment scandal in parliament.
A growing number of women and men working in Britainโs parliament have complained of inappropriate behaviour by lawmakers, largely prompted by sex abuse allegations against Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein.
Fallon apologised earlier this week for touching a radio presenterโs knee in 2002 โ something the woman in question described on social media as โmildly amusingโ.
In his letter of resignation to Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday, he said there had been many allegations about lawmakers in recent days, including โsome about my previous conductโ.
โMany of these have been false but I accept that in the past I have fallen below the high standards that we require of the armed forces,โ he said. โI have reflected on my position and I am therefore resigning as defence secretary.โ
May, weakened after losing her Conservative Partyโs parliamentary majority in a snap June election, said she appreciated โthe characteristically serious mannerโ in which Fallon had considered his position and โthe particular example you wish to set to servicemen and women and othersโ.
May has moved swiftly after a weekend report that one of her ministers asked a female secretary to buy sex toys, the first allegation that triggered soul-searching in parliament over how junior workers are treated.
Allegations of sexual abuse have ranged from a charge of rape by an activist in the main opposition Labour Party by a senior party member, to unconfirmed details of serial โsex pestsโ on a list reportedly drafted by aides and researchers in parliament.
Damian Green, Mayโs deputy in the British government, has denied an allegation that he made an inappropriate sexual advance on a young woman.
May, who has long championed the careers of female lawmakers, said earlier on Wednesday that action would be taken when there were allegations and evidence of sexual misconduct.
โI am very clear that we will take action against those where there are allegations that we see, and the evidence is there, that there has been misconduct,โ she told lawmakers.
