News

Keith Vaz quits Commons role after rent boy revelations

Keith Vaz has been embroiled in a scandal involving male escorts. Picture by Jonathan Brady, Press Association
Keith Vaz has been embroiled in a scandal involving male escorts. Picture by Jonathan Brady, Press Association Keith Vaz has been embroiled in a scandal involving male escorts. Picture by Jonathan Brady, Press Association

KEITH Vaz is to quit as chairman of the influential House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee after he was embroiled in rent boy revelations.

Announcing his resignation on Tuesday, the Labour MP said: "Those who hold others to account must themselves be accountable."

Mr Vaz's statement had been circulated to media under an embargo until yesterday but it was widely reported on social media.

Mr Vaz said: "It is in the best interest of the Home Affairs Select Committee that its important work can be conducted without any distractions whatsoever.

"I am genuinely sorry that recent events make it impossible for this to happen if I remain chair.

"I have always been passionate about select committees, having served as either chair or member for half of my time in Parliament. The integrity of the select committee system matters to me.

"Those who hold others to account must themselves be accountable."

He insisted he was "immeasurably proud" of the work the committee has undertaken over the last nine years, adding that he is "privileged to have been the longest serving chair of this committee".

Mr Vaz said: "This work has included the publication of 120 reports, hearing evidence from ministers 113 times, and hearing from a total of 1,379 witnesses."

He said the decision to resign and stand aside immediately from the committee's business was "my decision, and mine alone" and "my first consideration has been the effect of recent events on my family".

Mr Vaz has recommended that, in the interim, Conservative MP Tim Loughton should chair proceedings.

He said: "After speaking to the House authorities, I will formally tender my resignation to Mr Speaker so that it coincides with the timetable for the election of other committee chairs, such as the Brexit Committee, Culture, Media and Sport, and Science and Technology, so that the elections can take place together."

He thanked fellow committee members past and present "for their tremendous support", as well as Commons and committee clerks.

Conservative Home Affairs Committee member David Burrowes told BBC Radio 4's World At One: "I think he has done the right and honourable thing. It was the inevitable thing, I think, given the nature of the allegations and his role as chairman of the committee.

"It wasn't a party political view... It would have been a cross-party view that would have been given to Keith and he has taken the right view for the good of the committee."

Mr Burrowes said Mr Vaz was "an excellent chair" but his position was "untenable". His continued occupancy of the chair would have led the committee's integrity "being called into question", he said.

The committee's inquiries into issues like prostitution or drugs "demand an objective view and one that isn't likely to be conflicted and isn't liable to be undermined or compromised", said Mr Burrowes. "What has been exposed through the papers meant he was fatally compromised to continue as chair."

Mr Vaz said nothing to waiting reporters as he arrived for the meeting, which was being held behind closed doors in a Commons committee room.

The MP was accompanied by an aide carrying a large bouquet of flowers.

Asked whether he would be resigning as an MP, Mr Vaz made no response.

The meeting broke up after around 10 minutes as MPs went to take part in a Commons vote.

A smiling Mr Vaz made no comment to the press as he left.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said Mr Vaz's future on the party's ruling National Executive would be discussed when it meets.

He said: "He's made his decision because he felt that to carry on in the circumstances that he is now involved in would detract from the work of the Home Affairs Committee and so he has made that decision for himself.

"There has to be confidence in the democratic process and therefore confidence in politicians and what they do."

Mr Corbyn added that whatever decision was made about Mr Vaz's future on the NEC, it would be "partly made" by the MP himself.