An energy minister has announced he is standing down from his government role to focus on local issues in a further blow to Rishi Sunak.
Graham Stuart, the MP for Beverly and Holderness, said he would "fully support" the prime minister from the backbenches.
Mr Stuart became minister of state for climate in September 2022 under Liz Truss's government.
When Rishi Sunak then became prime minister, he was reappointed to his position but was removed from cabinet.
Mr Stuart's resignation comes after a torrid few weeks for Mr Sunak.
He has faced criticism for his handling of the Westminster honeytrap scandal that saw William Wragg give up the Tory party whip after admitting to the Times he had shared MPs' personal phone numbers with a person he met on a dating app.
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Mr Sunak also goes into the local elections on 2 May against the backdrop of a Survation poll which forecast that his party is on course to win fewer than 100 seats in the next general election, while Labour's Sir Keir Starmer could be swept to power with a landslide victory of 468 seats.
Last month, Mr Sunak also lost James Heappey as armed forces minister after he announced he was leaving the cabinet and standing down at the next election.
Sky News has previously reported of a rift between Mr Stuart and Claire Coutinho - a close ally of Mr Sunak and the current energy secretary - over plans to impose targets for electric heat pump sales on gas boiler manufacturers.
A Tory source said: "I don't know if it's why he's standing down, but it's certainly the case that junior ministers and officials in the energy department have had significant differences with the secretary of state over her lack of long-term vision and there's concern she's more interested in chasing headlines."
A source close to Ms Coutinho denied reports of a rift and pointed to the post she wrote on X, in which she thanks Mr Stuart for being a "doughty champion for British energy".
Mr Stuart, who was first elected to parliament in 2005, said his attention would be centred on making roads safer, broadband delivery and increasing the number of defibrillators in his constituency.
He also said he wanted to improve access to dentistry and healthcare, work with farmers on flooding, and champion his Make Our Roads Safer campaign.
"I'm proud to have served in the government for most of the past eight years, but now it's time to focus on Beverley and Holderness," he said.
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In addition to his role as energy and net zero minister, Mr Stuart has also served in the Foreign Office, the Department for International Trade and as an assistant whip to the Treasury.
Daisy Cooper, the deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, said: "The drumbeat of Conservative resignations is becoming deafening. Ministers are finding any excuse they can to get away from this deeply unpopular Conservative government.
"Even Rishi Sunak's ministers know that time is up on this tired and out of touch government.
"The writing is on the wall for Rishi Sunak, and the sooner he calls a general election the better. The country, and his own MPs, know the clock is ticking."
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