Lord Sewel’s behaviour was described by Lords speaker Baroness D’Souza as “shocking and unacceptable”.
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“Members of her Lordship’s House who are right thieves, rogues and b*****ds at times”.
LONDON-The deputy speaker of the U.K.’s House of Lords has resigned his position after publication of photos and a video allegedly showing him using cocaine with prostitutes.
The peer, who was once a key ally of Tony Blair, was in charge of upholding standards in the Lords.
Baron John Sewel’s decision to step down came after British daily, the Sun, published pictures of him snorting cocaine.
As deputy speaker, one of his roles was enforcing standards in the House of Lords.
Sewel is a former senior vice-principal of the University of Aberdeen and a former parliamentary undersecretary of state at Scottish Office, serving as the minister for agriculture, environment and fisheries between 1997-1999.
He apparently paid one of the women for the night with a cheque for £200, dated July 22.
Sewel’s behaviour was “shocking and unacceptable”, D’Souza said in a statement.
He could now face expulsion from the Lords, or a long suspension, under new measures put in place by a new Act of Parliament which he helped to finalise only last month.
Sewel’s case has been referred to the Scotland Yard for urgent investigation.
Press Association reports he has also resigned as chairman of the privileges and conduct committee in the Lords in the wake of the Sun on Sunday’s story.
Sewel is not required to resign from the Lords until an investigation by peers.
In between snorting lines of white powder, Lord Sewel is heard complaining that he struggles to afford the £1,000 a month rent on the flat.
In a column for the Huffington Post, he wrote: “Scandals make good headlines”.
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The peer had a salary of £84,500 for his role as Chairman of Committees.
