LONDON — After being caught in an undercover report, Malcolm Rifkind, a former British foreign secretary, said on Tuesday that he would resign as chairman of an influential parliamentary panel overseeing intelligence and would not run for re-election to Parliament in May.
In a statement, Mr. Rifkind, a lawmaker for Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative Party, insisted that none of the discussions about paid consultancy work he had with a reporter had related to the chairmanship of the parliamentary committee — a post that gives access to highly sensitive information.
“However, I have today informed my colleagues that, while I will remain a member of the committee, I will step down from the chairmanship,” he said. He added that he was doing so because he did not want its work “in any way, distracted or affected by controversy as to my personal position.”
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Mr. Rifkind said the move was “entirely my personal decision,” but he again argued that he was blameless. “As regards the allegations of Channel 4 and The Daily Telegraph, I find them contemptible and will not comment further at this time,” he said.
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