Boris Johnson has been accused of parachuting ‘failing’ Chris Grayling into the committee responsible for publishing the long-delayed Russia report.
Opposition parties have accused the Government of dodging scrutiny by failing to set up the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC), which has not met for seven months.
But Downing Street said on Thursday that the list of candidates for the committee which oversees the intelligence community had been drawn up and Parliament will be asked to approve it.
The list of names includes five Tories, two Labour MPs and one SNP MP.
The PM is believed to have lined up former cabinet minister Chris Grayling, who has been dubbed “failing Grayling” for his involvement in numerous controversies, to chair the ISC.
Mr Grayling is among the MPs nominated for the ISC, but the committee’s members will vote to decide who chairs it.
Other MPs nominated to the body include Tories Sir John Hayes, Julian Lewis, Mark Pritchard and Theresa Villiers; Labour’s Dame Diana Johnson and Kevan Jones, and the SNP’s Stewart Hosie.
MPs will be asked to approve a motion confirming the ISC’s new membership on Monday, ahead of a similar procedure in the Lords on Tuesday.
Ian Blackford, the SNP’s Westminster leader said it was “shameful” that it had taken so long to re-form the committee.
And he blasted the PM for trying to “parachute” an ally with a record of failure in a chair.
He said: “The ISC is a Committee of Parliament established by statute and holds a pivotal role in scrutinising and overseeing the work of the UK’s security apparatus. Its impartiality from government is critical to its ability to function effectively.
“It is then deeply concerning that the latest plan devised by Dominic Cummings and Boris Johnson will aim to parachute Chris Grayling as chair of the committee by putting forward favourable Tory members who will vote him through as chair.
“The chair of the ISC has long been appointed by consensus and this move does nothing less than undermine the role of the ISC and breach its independence.
“The likely nomination of Chris Grayling as chair – who has a distinct record in government as a jack of all trades and master of none – will deliver a blow to the effectiveness of the committee’s work.
“The ISC must be able to hold the confidence of Parliament and get on with the job of properly overseeing key security matters and addressing the diverse threats facing the UK. This latest attack on government institutions from Cummings and Co. however marks yet another dangerous step.”
Politicians from across the spectrum, including Conservative former cabinet member David Davis, had urged the Government to allow the ISC to re-form to publish the report.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The publication will be a matter for the new committee but we will encourage them to publish it as soon as possible.”
The Commons petitions committee wrote to the PM last week urging him to set up the ISC after “extensive delays” and a petition calling for the move received over 100,000 signatures.
Mr Davis previously told the PA news agency that there was “no acceptable reason for further delay” and said the Government “needs to remember that parliamentary accountability is not an optional extra”.
