Former Minister of State for Northern Ireland Conor Burns has been fired as a UK junior trade minister and suspended from the parliamentary Conservative Party following a "complaint of serious misconduct" at its annual conference this week.
British Prime Minister Liz Truss fired Mr Burns from a role in the Department for International Trade, a role he had held for one month, her office said.
"Following a complaint of serious misconduct, the Prime Minister has asked Conor Burns MP to leave the government with immediate effect," a spokesperson for Ms Truss' Downing Street office said.
"The prime minister took direct action on being informed of this allegation and is clear that all ministers should maintain the high standards of behaviour - as the public rightly expects."
Conservative MPs and party members had gathered for a four-day conference in Birmingham, central England, which ended on Wednesday.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
The nature of the allegation against Mr Burns was not immediately apparent.
His suspension as a Conservative politician was first reported by the Sun newspaper, and his office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
"We have suspended the whip (membership of parliamentary party) pending investigation into allegations of inappropriate behaviour earlier this week," said a spokesman for the whips' office, which is in charge of party discipline.
"We take all such allegations extremely seriously."
Mr Burns accused the party of rushing to judgment, but said he will "fully co-operate" with the probe and looks forward to clearing his name.
In a statement posted on social media, Mr Burns said he had not been given "any information" about the complaint when he was informed the party would be investigating.
"Earlier I received a call from the chief whip Wendy Morton. Ms Morton informed me that a complaint had been received about me and she had passed it to Conservative Campaign Headquarters to investigate," Mr Burns posted on social media.
"I was not given any information about the complaint nor was I asked to provide any information.
"On the basis of this complaint, Ms Morton told me that the whip was being withdrawn and that I was standing down as trade minister. I will fully cooperate with the party's (inquiry) and look forward to clearing my name."
He added that he hopes the party will be "as quick to conduct their (inquiry) as they were to rush to judgment".
UK Labour Party deputy leader Angela Rayner said the emergence of allegations against Mr Burns was "deeply disturbing".
"After just a month as Prime Minister, Liz Truss's Government is already beset by scandal," she said.
"This deeply disturbing revelation is the latest in a long line of serious misconduct allegations and raises serious questions not only about yet another minister, but about the Prime Minister's judgment in refusing to appoint an independent ethics adviser."
