FORMER Vale MP and UK cabinet minister Alun Cairns has quit his cabinet role following claims he knew about a former aide's role in the "sabotage" of a rape trial.
Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns said he hadn't known Tory assembly candidate Ross England had made claims about the victim's sexual history in the April 2018 trial.
But information leaked to BBC Wales said Mr Cairns had received an emailed concerning the matter in August 2018.
The email was sent four months before Mr England was selected as the Vale of Glamorgan Welsh assembly candidate.
The Tory minister said he became aware of Mr England's role in the trial's collapse only recently.
In his letter to prime minister Boris Johnson, Mr Cairns said: "You will be aware of allegations relating to the actions of a party employee and candidate for the Welsh assembly elections in the Vale of Glamorgan.
"This is a very sensitive matter, and in light of continued speculation, I write to tender my resignation as secretary of state for Wales.
"I will co-operate in full with the investigation under the Ministerial Code which will now take place and I am confident I will be cleared of any breach or wrong doing."
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