Chris Grayling quits intelligence committee after losing the chance for chairman's role in coup

Chris Grayling is to step down from the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) after he was unexpectedly snubbed for the post of chairman, The Telegraph has learned.

The former Transport Secretary had been lined up to lead the powerful committee before a Labour and SNP ‘coup’ in July saw his Conservative colleague Julian Lewis elected to the post instead.

Dr Lewis, who was the Conservative MP for New Forest East, then had the whip removed after a senior government source accused him of “working with Labour and other opposition MPs for his own advantage”. He now sits as an independent MP.

It followed criticism Mr Grayling’s proposed appointment would “make a mockery” of the committee amid fears of a power grab by Boris Johnson and his chief adviser Dominic Cummings to avoid accountability over their links to Russia outlined in a suppressed report.

Insiders say the events over the summer have "stirred divisions" within the nine-member committee which means the new chairman is faced with "significant challenges" in trying to "unify" all parties.

Mr Grayling has already written to the Tory chief whip, Mark Spencer, to say he has "reached the conclusion it will be much easier for the Committee to move beyond these divisions if I step down from membership of the Committee."

Another member said: “Chris basically decided that he cannot, in good conscience, stay on considering what occurred. There are clearly going to be real question marks over whether the committee can operate as it is currently constituted because it’s begun its work in such an unwholesome spirit. It’s going to be hard for Julian to retain the faith of the committee moving forward.”

The Prime Minister was accused of 'parachuting' in the controversial minister – dubbed 'Failing Grayling’ by his critics – to head the powerful committee, which oversees MI5, MI6 and GCHQ. It has the authority to release the delayed Russia report, postponed from before the election.

It had been understood that the other Tory members – Theresa Villiers, Sir John Hayes, Mark Pritchard, and Julian Lewis would all vote for Mr Grayling for chairman.

However, at the last minute it emerged that Dr Lewis had voted for himself along with the Labour MPs on the committee, Kevan Jones and Diana Johnson, the SNP MP Stewart Hosie and the Labour peer Lord West.

It came after Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey attacked the proposed appointment of accident-prone Mr Grayling, and Shadow Defence Secretary Nia Griffith said it would "make a mockery" of the committee.

Dr Lewis insisted he had never responded to Government whips about who he would vote for as he considered it an "improper request" as the 2013 Justice and Security Act explicitly removed the Prime Minister's right to choose the committee chair.

"At no earlier stage did I give any undertaking to vote for any particular candidate", he said.

The next day the Leader of the House, Jacob Rees-Mogg, said he would not rule out a plot to oust Dr Lewis, whose allies spoke of fears that the Government would seek retribution.

The ISC last night released a statement which said: "The Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP has, in accordance with the Justice and Security Act, written to the Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament tendering his resignation from the Committee. The Chairman has sent a reply."