Conservative Immigration Minister Mark Harper has resigned after it was revealed he had been employing an illegal immigrant to clean his flat.
Mr Harper, who says he did not know the cleaner had no right to be in the UK, wrote to the Prime Minister today to give up his position on the Government front bench.
Apologising for 'any embarrassment' caused by his oversight, Mr Harper said that he had carried out more checks that the law required.
But he said a final round of checks made by his staff revealed her true immigration status last week - more than six years after he first employed her.
In his time as minister, Mr Harper had been direct and outspoken on the issue of illegal immigration. He demanded live on TV that a failed asylum seeker 'go home', adding 'we don't believe you'.
He was also responsible for the controversial 'go home' vans deployed by the Home Office last year, which were withdrawn after an outcry about their 'distasteful' language.
Downing Street said there was 'no suggestion that Mr Harper knowingly employed an illegal immigrant' but that Prime Minister David Cameron had 'accepted his resignation with regret'.
In a statement, Number 10 said: 'The Prime Minister has accepted the resignation of the Immigration Minister, Mark Harper.
'Mark Harper offered his resignation after he was informed that his cleaner did not have indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom, despite having shown him documents claiming she did.
'There is no suggestion that Mr Harper knowingly employed an illegal immigrant.'
In response to his decision, Labour said that it 'understands and respects' Mr Harper's decision. But the shadow immigration minister also said that Mr Harper's error shows 'limits' to how effective the current approach to immigration checks can be.
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Controversial: Mr Harper was behind the Home Office's 'go home' vans, which were later deemed distasteful and withdrawn.
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