A member of the House of Lords has resigned from the chamber and apologized after he was filmed in an alleged cocaine-and-sex session with prostitutes.

John Sewel caved in to pressure on Tuesday, telling parliamentary officials in a statement that he was "terminating my membership of the House of Lords." He now says he can best serve the house by leaving it.

Sewel, who as deputy speaker had enforced standards in the House of Lords, apologized for the "pain and embarrassment" he had caused. The Labour Party member and former ally of Tony Blair had insisted as late as Monday that he would try to stay.

Images of Sewel that emerged in The Sun newspaper on Monday showed him wearing an orange bra belonging to one of the prostitutes.