Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams did not apply for a Crown title to resign his Westminster seat, it has been confirmed - but the British Treasury handed him one anyway in keeping with tradition.
An MP can only resign by accepting one of the symbolic offices of profit of Steward or Bailiff of Her Majesty's three Chiltern Hundreds of Stoke, Desborough and Burnham, or of the Manor of Northstead.
During questions in the House of Commons, Prime Minister David Cameron claimed Mr Adams had 'accepted' an office of profit under the Crown, in line with parliamentary protocols.
To laughter, he added: ‘I'm not sure that Gerry Adams will be delighted to be a baron of the Manor of Northstead. But nonetheless I'm pleased that tradition has been maintained.
The claim sparked denials from Sinn Féin, which said its leader had simply sent a letter of resignation to the Speaker's office.
'I simply resigned. I was not consulted nor was I asked to accept such an office.'
'I am an Irish republican. I have had no truck whatsoever with these antiquated and quite bizarre aspects of the British parliamentary system.'
Mr Adams, who is standing in the upcoming General Election here, had resigned his West Belfast seat in a letter to Commons Speaker John Bercow.
Following a point of order from Labour's Thomas Docherty in the Commons, Speaker Bercow later confirmed that the title of Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead had been bestowed upon Gerry Adams regardless - he had not requested it.
The Speaker said that under the Disqualification Act 1975, Mr Adams was 'therefore disqualified from membership of the House'.
The Sinn Féin President later released the content of the resignation letter he sent to the House of Commons.
'A chara, I hereby resign as MP for the constituency of west Belfast. Go raibh maith agat. Gerry Adams.'
