I QUIT, says Attorney General Lord Goldsmith

Attorney General Lord Goldsmith - at the centre of a furore over the legality of the Iraq War - will bow out after six years in his post.

He is the latest of a string of ministers closely associated with Mr Blair to signal their departure ahead of Gordon Brown's move into No 10.

Home Secretary John Reid and Social Exclusion Minister Hilary Armstrong - both fierce Blairites - have already said they intend to resign as Mr Blair departs the stage.

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It's also been reported ex-Metropolitan Police Commissioner Lord Stevens has rejected a post as a junior minister in Gordon Brown's new government.

Channel 4 News said there had been talks in the last few weeks over a job in law and order and, despite Lord Stevens declining the ministerial job, Mr Brown might still want the peer to serve as some kind of tsar or adviser.

It follows the disclosure that Mr Brown, who takes over as Prime Minister next week, had been rebuffed by Lord Ashdown after he asked him to serve in his first Cabinet.

But Lord Goldsmith's departure will be greeted with relief by many Labour MPs.

The Attorney General has been involved in a series of controversies, most notably over how and why his legal advice to the Government on the Iraq invasion was changed.

It emerged in 2005 that he had expressed private concerns to Mr Blair about the legality of war. Documents that emerged following requests under freedom of information laws show that he told officials he had changed his mind 'after further reflection'.

Lord Goldsmith, the Government's chief legal adviser, has insisted he came under no political pressure to change his view. But the discrepancy between his initial advice and later, public view would be a main focus of any future inquiry into the case for war.

There was further controversy over Lord Goldsmith's refusal to step aside from any decisions over possible prosecutions in the cash-for-honours affair, despite his close relationship with some of the key players.

But his decision to stand down means he will play no role in deciding whether to prosecute members of Tony Blair's inner circle over the affair.

In contrast, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Sir Ken Macdonald QC - who for three years was a member of The Chambers, where Cherie Blair practises - announced some time ago that he will stand back from any decision to avoid any 'perceived conflict of interest'.

Lord Goldsmith was also forced to deny claims that he changed his mind about whether there was enough evidence to bring corruption charges against the arms company BAE after pressure from Downing Street.

Just this month,the Serious Fraud Office stepped in to insist Lord Goldsmith had not ordered claims about alleged payments from BAE to a Saudi prince to be covered up.

Senior Labour figures - including Justice Minister and deputy leadership contender Harriet Harman - believe future Attorneys General must not sit in the Cabinet to avoid similar controversies.

Meanwhile, MPs on the Commons constitutional affairs committee have started an inquiry into the role.

There was also embarrassment for Lord Goldsmith in February after he was forced to confess to an affair with Kim Hollis, the first Asian woman QC.

He faced questions from political opponents about whether the affair took place at the same time as the row over legal advice on the Iraq war.

Lord Goldsmith said his wife Joy had known about the affair 'for a long time', that it was in the past and that they were both 'very happy'.

Last night the Attorney General said he was 'proud to have been a part of making major achievements in criminal justice'. In a statement he said: 'I have been immensely privileged to serve in this office for just over six years. This is a record time for a Labour Attorney General. It has been an extremely interesting and challenging time.

'However I have wanted for some time to move on and I have told the Prime Minister and the Chancellor that I believe now is the right time to make that move.'

Mr Brown paid tribute to the Attorney General and said he had agreed to work as an adviser for his administration.

'Peter Goldsmith has given outstanding service to Britain,' he said.

'His contribution to the country and this Government has been immense, not least through transforming the Crown Prosecution Service.

'It is with my regret that he has made his personal decision to step down.

'I am however very pleased that he has agreed to undertake a review of the legal and other aspects of citizenship in our country.'