Rifkind resigns, says being in pay of Chinese not relevant to being chair of intelligence committee

(not satire – it’s the UK today!)

Rifkind has resigned as Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee.

In his resignation statement, Rifkind reckons that the fact he was prepared to be in the pay of the Chinese is not “relevant to my work as chairman of the intelligence and security committee”.

Really?

Anyway, here’s Rifkind’s bizarre resignation statement:

“None one of the current controversy with which I am associated is relevant to my work as chairman of the intelligence and security committee of parliament.

However, I have today informed my colleagues that while I will remain a member of the committee, I will step down from the chairmanship.

The committee is due to be dissolved in little over a month with the prorogation of parliament for the forthcoming general election. The main substantive work which needs to be completed will be the publication of our privacy and security report during March.