Torys set to dominate Intelligence and Security Committee

Reports claim that No10 has nominated five Conservative MPs to Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee, with former Transport Secretary Chris Grayling expected to be appointed as its chair.

MPs will vote next week to approve the government's appointments, which also include two Labour MPs and one SNP Member. A member of the House of Lords will also be nominated.

The committee, which is due to publish a delayed report on alleged Russian interference in UK politics, still unpublished eight months after being completed, hasn't met since the 2019 election, with opposition parties voicing concerns over the government attempting to escape scrutiny by delaying the committee's formation.

The Conservative members put forward by Downing Street are, according to reports, Chris Grayling, John Hayes, Julian Lewis, Mark Pritchard and Theresa Villiers. The Labour MPs on the committee are set to be Kevan Jones and Dame Diana Johnson, and the SNP will have one representative - Stewart Hosie.

The Petitions Committee recently called on the Prime Minister to take action on the committee’s formation after 100,000 people signed a petition on the issue.