Welsh Secretary resigns over “sabotage” of a rape trial

A UK cabinet minister has resigned over claims he knew about a former aide’s role in the “sabotage” of a rape trial.

Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns denied knowing Tory assembly candidate Ross England made claims about the victim’s sexual history in an April 2018 trial.

But BBC Wales discovered Mr Cairns was emailed about it in August 2018 – four months before Mr England was chosen as Vale of Glamorgan candidate.

The BBC has been told Mr Cairns intends to stand in the general election.

He was the longest-serving minister in the cabinet, after being appointed in 2016.

Mr Cairns, who represented the Vale of Glamorgan, said he only became aware of Mr England’s role in the trial’s collapse when the story broke last week.

Via BBC