Sir Maclom Rifkind, a former foreign secretary, has resigned as a chairman of Intelligence and Security
Select Committee, following the accusation of leveraging his position in order to aid companies, in exchange for thousands of pounds per day. Though unwavering in his denial of any wrongdoing, he has decided to step down as an MP as well and claims that he is acting entirely on his own accord, as this is the correct course of action.
Although Sir Malcolm Rifkind denied that any conflict of interests occurred, he underlined that it would be 'unrealistic' for MPs to be expected to live off their basic salary, cited at £67 000.
The former chairmen also expressed his conviction that his profession entitles him to a higher standard of living than he has now and continues denying any wrongdoing.
Sir Malcolm Rifkind's integrity was questioned when the undercover reporters for the Dispatchers acted as representatives of a fictitious communication firm from Hong Kong, and filmed Sir Malcolm Rifkind offering to leverage his position in favor of the company, in exchange for a minimum of £5000 per day. He also boasted receiving payments between £5000 and £8000 per half a day's work.
In response to the accusation, Rifkind said that he is in contempt of the undercover reporters' accusations and that he will not dignify their accusations with a comment.
Citing the reason for his resignation, former foreign secretary added that he doesn't want the controversy to affect the committee nor their upcoming publication, stating that the responsibility of chairmanship will be best handled by a new Chairperson.
Sir Malcolm Rifkind denies that the current controversy is at all relevant to his work as a Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Select Committee, of which he'll remain a member, but is happy to stand down as a chairman.
The controversy following Sir Malcolm Rifkind has sent shockwaves through the media and the public, especially on the topic of the officials' entitlements and the boundaries they are readily breaching. Concerned with the lifestyle Rifkind believes he's entitled to, his attitude sparked anger among the public, especially since many of the taxpayers do not reach anywhere near the £67000 pay scale, which Rifkind believes, he should be earning well above.
