Lord Carrington held himself accountable for the failures of Foreign Office officials and resigned in 1982 when Argentina invaded the Falklands, even though he was later cleared of responsibility.

Lord Carrington resigned as Foreign Secretary on 5 April 1982, taking responsibility for the Foreign Office's failure to foresee Argentina's 2 April 1982 invasion of the Falklands. His resignation is the classic cited example of the constitutional convention of ministerial accountability; he was widely regarded as not personally at fault.

▸ Wikipedia (biographical record) — Peter Carington, 6th Baron Carrington

Checked Wed 1 Jul, 09:52 · Broadcast: PMQs: Prime Minister's Questions - 22 April 2026

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