Chris Grayling has resigned as a member of the intelligence and security committee 6 weeks right after he was humiliatingly defeated in his try to develop into chair of the parliamentary watchdog.

Grayling wrote to the male who beat him to the position – Julian Lewis – saying he no longer desired to provide on the overall body when parliament resumes following week.

There was no fast rationalization of why Grayling, a previous transport and justice secretary, quit. Having said that, a Labour source explained he was “off in a sulk” and had no wish to serve as an regular member on the overall body that scrutinises Britain’s intelligence organizations.

Grayling experienced been promised the task of chair by Boris Johnson only to slide victim in July to an ambush in which Lewis stood versus him and won the nomination 5-4 with the assistance of Labour and SNP users.

A furious Downing Avenue stripped the Conservative whip from Lewis, an MP due to the fact 1997, who strike back by declaring that No 10 had created “an inappropriate request” in trying to get him to help Grayling for the posture.

Lewis then led the publication of the lengthy-awaited Russia report, which exposed that British governing administration and intelligence businesses failed to conduct any good assessment of Kremlin attempts to interfere with the 2016 Brexit referendum.

Although Johnson experienced the right to nominate 5 Conservatives to the nine-member committee pursuing the election win, it was not truly up to him to choose the chair.

As a substitute once the key minister and leaders of the most important opposition events put ahead those people who will serve on the entire body, that team meets to elect their head, a process intended to be certain the body’s independence.

The attempt to impose Grayling was controversial even between Conservatives due to the fact of hisrecord as a cabinet minister.

As transport secretary, he presided about the collapse of Northern and Thameslink rail services and the granting of a no-offer Brexit ferry agreement to a company with no ships.

As justice secretary, he section-privatised the probation company and banned prisoners from acquiring books from family, a evaluate that was overturned in the courts.

The ISC stated: “The Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP has, in accordance with the Justice and Safety Act, created to the chairman of the intelligence and security committee of parliament tendering his resignation from the committee. The chairman has sent a reply.”