British Prime Minister Tony Blair's deputy, John Prescott, gave up his free country mansion yesterday but holds onto his job.
Earlier this month Mr Blair stripped the deputy prime minister of nearly all his official duties after newspapers splashed reports that Mr Prescott had had a long affair with his diary secretary.
But despite giving up his main role overseeing local government, Mr Prescott was allowed to keep his title, his £130,000 salary and Dorneywood, the historic so-called "grace and favour" country mansion that came with his job.
Photographs appeared in the press of Mr Prescott playing croquet on the mansion's lawn during working hours. Several of Labour Party parliamentarians openly called for Mr Prescott's resignation.
Mr Prescott said he had told Mr Blair he had personally decided he no longer wanted to use the house.
"I have accepted that my continued use of Dorneywood is getting in the way of doing my job in government," he said in a statement. "I am well aware that my use of it is now a subject of public controversy and criticism and a matter of concern amongst some MPs and the Labour Party."
Mr Blair's office has repeatedly said the prime minister still has confidence in his deputy.
But the prime minister has stripped Mr Prescott of responsibility for a vast bureaucracy overseeing local government in a cabinet shake-up a week after Mr Prescott's affair became public. But Mr Blair said he would still preside over some cabinet committee meetings.