Cash for access MP Malcolm Rifkind resigns

Sir Malcolm bowed to pressure by announcing he would quit his post as chair of parliament’s intelligence committee and step down as an MP at the General Election after he and Labour’s Jack Straw were filmed by undercover reporters offering to lobby for a fictitious Chinese firm.

The Conservative MP has admitted he “may have made errors of judgment” but insisted he has done nothing wrong in the cash-for-access controversy.

The former foreign secretary said it was “quite obvious” allegations made following an undercover sting had “become an issue”.

Sir Malcolm said he had also stepped aside as chair of the parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) because he did not want the work of the committee to be “distracted”. Speaking to reporters after a meeting of the ISC, he said: “I don’t think I did anything wrong. I may have made errors of judgment, but that’s a different matter.”

His decision came 24 hours after David Cameron refused to stand by the embattled MP.

Speaking after the resignation, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said Mr Cameron “respects and supports” Sir Malcolm’s decision to quit both the Commons and the ISC chair.

“What the Prime Minister thinks is that there were very serious allegations and questions that had been raised,” he told reporters.

Sir Malcolm, who has had the Tory whip withdrawn, dismissed suggestions that he had been pushed by No 10.

He said: “Downing Street don’t have that power. The intelligence committee acts under an Act of Parliament. The Prime Minister has no power to dismiss members of the committee. “

Mr Cameron is not believed to have spoken to Sir Malcolm in the last 24 hours.

Sir Malcolm’s decision to quit as an MP in May marks the end of a distinguished Parliamentary career spanning more than 30 years.

The Scots-born lawyer first entered Parliament in 1974 and was given his first frontbench post –as an Opposition Scottish Office spokesman – the following year.

When the Tories won power in 1979 he was steadily promoted up the Ministerial ladder by Margaret Thatcher, joining the Cabinet in 1986 as Scottish Secretary and was made Foreign Secretary in the final years of the Major administration.

He lost his Edinburgh Pentlands seat as the Tories were swept away in Scotland in Labour’s 1997 landslide and was forced to head south of the border in the 2005 election, standing for the Tory safe seat of Kensington and Chelsea.

Hours before Sir Malcolm resigned it emerged Mr Straw, who has left the Labour party following the sting, was considering taking a job with a firm that won a £75m Government contract after he privately lobbied a Minister on its behalf.

During secret filming Mr Straw also talked about privately lobbying Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude on behalf of Senator International, saying he had helped the office furniture firm “get on the ladder” and secure contracts to supply the Government.

He indicated he would probably take an executive position with the firm after the next election.

“I happen to have helped them over the last four years anyway. I mean, without taking a penny from that,” Mr Straw said.

“But as a result of getting the name out... they’ve said would I be interested ultimately in going on the board?”

Mr Straw said: “I have acted in accordance with the parliamentary rules at all times in respect of Senator International, as in all other respects. All of these matters will be scrutinised by the Parliamentary Commissioner.”

• Sir Malcolm Rifkind’s 8,616 majority in Kensington makes the seat a key target for would-be Tory MPs.

Names already been mentioned for the seat include rowing champion James Cracknell, an early favourite with bookmakers.

Durham Conservative David Skelton is also in the running, with the Renewal think tank boss seen as a leading light in efforts to reform the party’s image.

Ladbrokes make former footballer Sol Campbell a 33/1 shot for the seat.

London Mayor Boris Johnson is a 100/1 outsider, having secured a nomination elsewhere.