Responding to news that Julian Lewis MP has had the Conservative Party Whip withdrawn following his election to the position of chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee, Liberal Democrat Chief Whip Alistair Carmichael said: “Chris Grayling was never an obvious choice for a committee dealing with intelligence and security – he is notorious for not having much of either.
“Having failed to install a loyalist to the post, the Prime Minister is now running scared of real scrutiny. Removing the whip from Julian Lewis is an overreaction, most likely from Dominic Cummings rather than the Chief Whip.
“The Prime Minister must stop interfering and let the Committee do its job. This starts with publishing the Russia Report immediately and allowing MPs to debate it before the Summer Recess. MPs across the House must stand firm in the face of overreach from No10.”