The British minister overseeing future regulation of the press, Maria Miller, has quit her cabinet post following a row over expenses, Downing Street announces.
"Maria Miller has resigned as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport," said a statement from Prime Minister David Cameron's office on Wednesday.
Miller had faced a week of pressure from her own Conservative Party and the opposition over payments she had claimed linked to a mortgage.
Cameron had given her his backing over the issue, but in her resignation letter to the prime minister, Miller said the matter had now become a "distraction".
"It has become clear to me that the present situation has become a distraction from the vital work this government is doing to turn our country around," Miller wrote.
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Cameron replied that he was "sad" at her departure but accepted her decision.
Miller had last week made a terse 31-second apology to parliament for providing limited information to an inquiry into her claims.
An independent inquiry found she should pay back STG45,000 ($A80,971), but that was cut to STG5800 by a committee of MPs.
More than 140,000 people had signed an online petition calling for Miller to resign or pay back the larger sum.
