Alun Cairns: 'Not a controversy Conservative Party wanted'

Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns has resigned from the Cabinet over claims he knew about a former aide's role in the "sabotage" of a rape trial.

He made the announcement at midday on Wednesday - the day of the Conservative Party election campaign launch - one day after BBC Wales revealed he had received an email relating to his former aide Ross England's role in the collapse of a trial in April 2018.

Mr England, a witness in the trial, had made claims about the victim's sexual history in court after the judge had ruled such evidence to be inadmissible.

Mr Cairns was sent an email about Mr England in August 2018, four months before he was selected as a Conservative candidate for the Welsh assembly.

Mr Cairns, who still intends to stand as a Tory MP, denies any wrongdoing and has said he did not know about the details of the case until last week.

BBC Wales' political editor Felicity Evans said: "This was not an issue that [the Conservative Party] wanted compromising their campaign."