24 Feb 2015

Gove dodges question on Rifkind resignation

Conservative party chief whip Michael Gove slips past a question from Gary Gibbon on whether he was behind Sir Malcolm Rifkind’s decision to step down over the “cash for access” scandal.

“Sorry, I’m just heading off for a meeting.”

Michael Gove shirked a direct question from Channel 4 News Political Editor Gary Gibbon today, when he was asked whether he was the “assassin” behind the resignation of Sir Malcolm Rifkind.

Sir Malcolm resigned as chair of parliament’s intelligence and security committee and announced he would step down as an MP at the general election due to continuing fallout from the “cash for access” scandal.

His decision follows an undercover investigation by Channel 4 Dispatches and the Daily Telegraph, which separately filmed him and Jack Straw appearing to offer services for cash.

Party suspensions

The Conservative party announced that it had has suspended the whip from Sir Malcolm Rifkind, and a party disciplinary committee was set to investigate cash-for-access allegations resulting from the undercover sting operation.

Former Labour foreign secretary Jack Straw suspended himself from the Labour party to fight to clear his name.

Both men have referred themselves to the parliamentary commissioner for standards, but said there was no suggestion that they had been offering to use their influence as MPs.