Boris Johnson has dumped a minister who was hailed as a 'hero' following the Westminster terror attack.

Tobias Ellwood gave PC Keith Palmer, one of four people killed in the 2017 Westminster terror attack, mouth-to-mouth in a bid to save his life.

The ex-Army captain was pictured with blood on his face and looking exhausted after his efforts when others fled from danger.

But today he revealed he had been dumped as a defence minister in Johnson's reshuffle.

In a statement, he said: "It has been a true honour to serve in Her Majesty's Government, firstly as Foreign Minister and more recently as Minister for Defence People and Veterans.

"As I support the new Prime Minister from the Back Benches I am committed to furthering the case for increased defence spending and growing our defence posture. We enter a new era of instability facing ever complex and diverse threats. Britain must develop our hard power if we are to retain our influence on the international stage.

"I will continue to speak out for the interests of those who wear and wore the uniform. It has been a true privilege to work so closely with those who chose to serve our country."

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Image:
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He signed off his tweet "si vis pacem, para bellum", which means "if you want peace, prepare for war".

Speaking to Forces.net yesterday, Mr Ellwood welcomed newly appointed Defence Secretary Ben Wallace - but appeared confused about whey his predecessor Penny Mordaunt was booted out of office by Johnson after just 85 days in the job.

He said: "I don't understand what happened with Penny, I pay tribute to her hard work.

"It's a game of snakes and ladders."

Days after the attack, then-Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson paid tribute to Ellwood's bravery.

He told MPs: "I want to pay my own tribute to my right honourable friend and ministerial colleague (Mr Ellwood), and of course also to all those innocents who lost their lives or were injured last week.

"Over the centuries many people have tried to attack this Parliament and none has shaken our faith in our values of freedom and democracy, which inform our policies."