London, Feb 3 (PTI) British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's policy chief Munira Mirza resigned on Thursday over his false claim that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer failed to prosecute serial sex offender Jimmy Savile when he was director of public prosecutions.

Johnson made allegations on Monday, sparking anger from MPs - including in his own party.

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Mirza resigned from her well-paid role after Johnson declined to apologise for his comments.

In her resignation letter to the prime minister, as published by The Spectator magazine, Mirza wrote: "I believe it was wrong for you to imply this week that Keir Starmer was personally responsible for allowing Jimmy Savile to escape justice.

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"There was no fair or reasonable basis for that assertion. This was not the usual cut and thrust of politics; it was an inappropriate and partisan reference to a horrendous case of child sex abuse.

"You tried to clarify your position today but, despite my urging, you did not apologise for the misleading impression you gave."

Mirza's departure comes as a fresh blow to the embattled prime minister as he seeks to shore up his position in Number 10 amid the partygate scandal.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)