MICHELLE Donelan, the Chippenham MP and Education Secretary for just 36 hours, this morning dramatically resigned from her Cabinet position.

In her resignation letter to embattled Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is also expected to resign later this morning, she said: “This morning I have resigned from government - a difficult decision because I am worried as we approach exam results day.

“As constituents will be aware my driving reason for being in public service is to create opportunities and I believe education is the key to making this happen.

In her resignation later, she said she had "pleaded" with the Prime Minister on Wednesday to "do the right thing and resign for the sake of our country and our party".

But she now believed the "only way" to remove him from power was for cabinet to "force your hand".

She becomes the fourth of Wiltshire’s five MPs to quit their Ministerial jobs as Boris Johnson’s government collapses, with more than 50 resignations so far.

South West Wiltshire MP, Dr Andrew Murrison, was the first to go, resigning from his Ministerial role as Trade Envoy to Morocco.

He was followed by Salisbury MP John Glen, who resigned his role as a Treasury Minister, and then Danny Kruger, the MP for Devizes, late last night.

Mr Kruger resigned his role as Permanent Private Secretary at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities after his boss, Michael Gove, was sensationally sacked after urging Mr Johnson to go.

James Gray, the MP for North Wiltshire, does not have a Ministerial position.