Boris Johnson policy adviser resigns over Jimmy Savile smear

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Downing Street’s head of policy, Munira Mirza, has reportedly resigned after Boris Johnson failed to apologise for using a Jimmy Savile slur against Sir Keir Starmer.

Long-term ally of the Prime Minister, Ms Mirza, who's from Oldham, was said to have quit in outrage at his “inappropriate and partisan reference to a horrendous case of child sex abuse”.

During an interview on Thursday (3 February), Mr Johnson backtracked on the widely criticised and debunked claim that the Labour leader failed to prosecute Savile.

But, according to Ms Mirza’s resignation letter reported by the Spectator magazine, he stopped short of issuing the apology that she had requested. “I believe it was wrong for you to imply this week that Keir Starmer was personally responsible for allowing Jimmy Savile to escape justice,” the letter read. “There was no fair or reasonable basis for that assertion.