A MERSEY MP last night said his decision to stand down as a Parliamentary aide, over the Attorney General’s breach of employment law was an “old- fashioned point of principle resignation”.

Stephen Hesford, Labour MP for Wirral West, said the facts in the case of Baroness Scotland “did not matter” and that it was the principle which counts.

He resigned with immediate effect as Parliamentary private secretary to the Government’s legal officers, saying it was “unprincipled” for the peer to remain in post, after being fined £5,000 for employing a housekeeper with no right to work in the UK.

When asked by the Daily Post if the Attorney General’s refusal to resign was arrogant, he said the word could “shine a light” on how the public might be perceiving the situation.

He said he had great regard for the Attorney General, but that her position had become untenable and that it was wrong that she remained in post.

The resignation, from the unpaid position, wrecked Gordon Brown’s efforts to draw a line under the episode.

But the Prime Minister offered Lady Scotland strong support again yesterday.

“I take this very seriously indeed, but when you look at the facts of the case, she has been misled by an employee who has given her wrong information.

“She has paid the fine and apologised unreservedly.

“I have told her of my feelings about what has happened, but I have got to ask if someone should lose their job for failure to keep a copy of documentation.”

Shadow minister for Merseyside and shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling last night also renewed his calls for Baroness Scotland to stand down.

Last night, Mr Hesford said: “My decision was taken overnight with great reluctance. It is an old-fashioned resignation out of a point of principle.

“As I made clear to the Prime Minister, trust in Whitehall is uncertain, to say the least.

“The public are watching these events and quite rightly so they want to think that ministers are accountable.

“The post of Attorney General is a peculiarly sensitive position. The chief legal advisor to the Government must be beyond question. It is a very unfortunate situation and has brought the post into question.”

In his letter of resignation, he urged the Prime Minister to move as quickly as possible to withdraw from Afghanistan and “signal a change in our position over Trident replacement”.

He said there should be a referendum on how MPs were elected.

Labour also needed to finish off its reform of the House of Lords, he added.