John Sewel has stepped down from the House of Lords in Britain after being filmed taking drugs with two prostitutes.
The peer (69) apologised for the "pain and embarrassment" he caused after being exposed for apparently snorting cocaine off a prostiute's berast with a stg£5 not at his flat near the Palace of Westminster.
Footage showed Lord Sewel, who in his role as chairman of the Privileges and Standards Committee is responsible for setting behaviour standards for peers, in an orange bra and leather jacket smoking and drinking with the women.
In other scenes he attacked some of the country's most high-profile politicians, including David Cameron, who he called "facile", and Tony Blair.
In a statement announcing he was terminating his membership of the House of Lords he effectively admitted his behaviour had breached the Code of Conduct, which he had helped to establish.
Lord Sewel, who is married with four children, quit from his role of Deputy Speaker of the upper chamber and chairman of the standards committee on Sunday.
However, until now the Labour life peer, who was a minister in Mr Blair's government, had resisted pressure to step down from the House of Lords permanently.
In a statement he said: "I have today written to the Clerk of the Parliaments terminating my membership of the House of Lords. The question of whether my behaviour breached the Code of Conduct is important, but essentially technical."
"The bigger questions are whether my behaviour is compatible with membership of the House of Lords and whether my continued membership would damage and undermine public confidence in the House of Lords. I believe the answer to both these questions means that I can best serve the House by leaving it."
"As a subordinate, second chamber the House of Lords is an effective, vital but undervalued part of our political system. I hope my decision will limit and help repair the damage I have done to an institution I hold dear."
"Finally, I want to apologise for the pain and embarrassment I have caused."
