Ron Davies, Labour Welsh Secretary

Resigned October 1998

Davies: "moment of madness"

The former Welsh Secretary became first member of Tony Blair's Cabinet to resign after a bizarre incident on Clapham Common in which the Mr Davies was robbed and had his car stolen. The full details of what actually happened that October night in south London are yet to emerge.

As well as resigning from the Cabinet, Mr Davies also stood down as the Labour leader in the new National Assembly for Wales. But there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon. Mr Davies replacement in the Welsh Office Alun Michael has suggested the former Welsh Secretary may find a place on his team after the Assembly elections in May.

Frank Field, Labour Minister for Welfare Reform

Resigned, July 1998

Pensions policy wonk Frank Field resigned during Tony Blair's first re-shuffle in July. Mr Field charged with "thinking the unthinkable" on welfare reform but actually delivered very little while in office. He resigned after the prime minister refused to make him top dog at the Department of Social Security.

Jonathan Aitken, Conservative Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Resigned July 1995

Aitken: resigned over libel charges

Aitken, once tipped for the top, resigned during John Major's 1995 Cabinet re-shuffle. He left office, in order to concentrate on his libel actions against ITV's World in Action programme over his role as a non-executive director of BMARC and the sale of arms to Iran.

He is now facing charges of perjury and perverting the course of justice.

Tim Smith, Conservative Junior Northern Ireland minister

Resigned 20 October 1994

Mr Smith was just one of the many Tory MPs who fell foul of the cash-for-questions scandal. Harrods tycoon Mohammed Al Fayed had been paying Mr Smith to table parliamentary questions about the ownership of Harrods. A small matter he neglected to mention to the Register of Member's Interests until shortly before his agreement with Mr Fayed ended in 1989.

Neil Hamilton, Conservative the Corporate Affairs Minister

Resigned 25 October 1994

Hamilton: Cash-for-questions

Neil Hamilton is the man who first springs to mind whenever cash-for-questions is mentioned. Hamilton was tenacious in his efforts to retain his position despite the damaging allegations made against him by the Guardian newspaper who claimed he accepted cash for asking Commons questions.

But never being one to give up a good thing without a fight Tory PM John Major had to ask Hamilton for his resignation. Hamilton has never admitted any wrong doing and instead blames the media for his fall from office. He said at the time: "I think it is sad and deeply disturbing that I have been forced to leave office because of foully-motivated rumour and a media witchhunt".

Tim Yeo, Conservative Environment Minister

Resigned 5 January 1994

Mr Yeo's constituency activists were credited with his departure after a splash story in the tabloid paper The News of The World revealed he had fathered a child by Julia Stent, a Conservative councillor in Hackney.

Micheal Mates, Conservative Minister of State for Northern Ireland

Resigned 24 June 1993

Mr Mates had no choice but to leave the government once his close relations with the fugitive businessman, Mr Asil Nadir came to light. The former minister had made the mistake of sending Mr Nadir a watch inscribed "don't let the buggers get you down".

David Mellor, Conservative National Heritage Secretary

Resigned 24 September 1992