Boris Johnson warned not to make 'mockery' of security watchdog by appointing Chris Grayling

Boris Johnson has been warned he risks undermining public confidence in parliament’s intelligence and security watchdog if he goes ahead with a reported plan to appoint as its chair Chris Grayling, who was sacked from cabinet after presiding over a string of failed projects. Shadow defence secretary Nia Griffith said appointing Grayling would “make a mockery” of the cross-party Intelligence and Security Committee, which oversees secret agencies MI5 and MI6 and the government’s GCHQ listening post, and is cleared to see intelligence material denied to other MPs. One of the new chair’s first responsibilities will be deciding when and how to publish a report on alleged Russian interference in...