British MP Rifkind to Retire Due to ‘Cash for Access’ Scandal

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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A renowned British lawmaker, Sir Malcolm Rifkind, has announced his retirement from Parliament and left his position as the chairman of an influential parliamentary security committee, i.e. House of Commons’ Intelligence and Security Committee, today after being allegedly filmed undercover offering his services to a made-up Chinese company in return for thousands of pounds.

Sir Malcolm Rifkind mentioned in his remarks that he will not be seeking reelection as Member of Parliament for any constituency. In his statement, Rifkind revealed that “I have concluded that to end the uncertainty it would be preferable to step down at the end of this Parliament. This is entirely my personal decision.” He added that “I have had no such requests from my constituency association but I believe that it is the right and proper action to take.” Malcolm has consistently denied all allegations against him, calling them “contemptible”. 

The British Parliament is set to dissolve on March 30 in preparation ahead of the General Election scheduled for May 7. So far, Malcolm has been suspended by the Conservative party pending further investigation. He is credited to have served in the government under Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. According to a Conservative Party spokesperson: “Sir Malcolm has had a long career of distinguished service both to the Conservative Party and the country. We respect and support his decision to stand down.” Another former foreign secretary, Labour’s Jack Straw, also featured in the joint undercover investigation by ‘Daily Telegraph’ newspaper and Channel 4’s ‘Dispatches’.