The Mandelson Affair: History of Scandals - Latest in long line of spectacular political downfalls

THE RESIGNATIONS of Peter Mandelson and Geoffrey Robinson represents one of the most spectacular in a long line of Parliamentary downfalls.

They may lack the spice of the Profumo, Parkinson and Mellor affairs, but in terms of sheer political impact, yesterday's events will rank prominently in the history of ministerial departures.

One of the most notorious government resignations was that of Sir Charles "three-in-a-bed" Dilke, a minister in the Gladstone administration of 1882. Dilke was forced to quit his post as local government minister in 1886 when he was cited in a divorce case by his 22-year-old sister-in- law, Virginia Crawford. Mrs Crawford accused him of seducing her and teaching her "every French vice in the book".

Sex reared its head again in 1963, when John Profumo, the Secretary of State for War, carried out what is possibly the most famous resignation this century. Profumo left the Conservative government after lying to the House of Commons about having sexual relations with Christine Keeler, a call-girl, who was also having an affair with a Soviet naval attache in London.

Labour scandals tended to centre on more lofty affairs, such as the 1967 departure of James Callaghan, the Chancellor, after Prime Minister Harold Wilson devalued the pound.

In 1983, Cecil Parkinson, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, was forced to resign after the disclosure of his affair with Sara Keays, his former secretary. The furore surrounding his resignation, which was reluctantly accepted by Margaret Thatcher, ruined Conservative celebrations after a landslide general election victory.

Mrs Thatcher's own downfall in 1990 was hastened by the departure of both Nigel Lawson, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Sir Geoffrey Howe, Foreign Secretary, following two momentous Commons resignation speeches.

Sex scandal soon reappeared in 1992, when David Mellor, Heritage Secretary, resigned following disclosures about an affair with Antonia de Sancha, an actress, and his failure to declare a paid holiday from Mona Bauwens, daughter of a high-ranking Palestine Liberation Organisation official.

The key charge of sleaze against John Major's government took off two years later when Neil Hamilton, Corporate Affairs minister, was exposed for accepting cash for asking questions in the House of Commons.

In 1995, Jonathan Aitken resigned as Chief Secretary to the Treasury to concentrate on his legal battles with the media over allegations concerning his business activities.

Tony Blair's only Cabinet resignation until yesterday had been that of Ron Davies, Secretary of State for Wales, who quit over a "serious lapse of judgement" on Clapham Common, south London.