A powerful Labour Party lawmaker has stepped down as the chair of the U.K. Home Affairs Select Committee following a sex scandal.
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There was a round of applause from members as Mr Vaz left the room to allow them to continue with a scheduled hearing.
His comments marked a distinct shift from Sunday when he said that Mr Vaz’s private life was a matter for the Leicester East MP.
An election for a new chairman will take place in October.
Nisbet said Mr Vaz replied: “Why would I want to speak to you when you say such nice things about me?” and seemed relaxed.
He added in his statement: “The integrity of the select committee system matters to me”.
Sky’s Darren McCaffrey said Tory MPs are likely to urge the Labour MP to stand down later, and if he refuses, he will be given 24 hours before a vote of no confidence is held.
After the story broke, Cambridge-educated Vaz suggested that the “Sunday Mirror” may have paid the male escorts involved in the sting operation.
“It is remarkable that he has been chairman of the select committee for nine years – the longest serving select committee chair”.
He was the parliament’s longest-serving British Asian MP and has chaired the influential Home Affairs Select Committee since 2007.
I have recommended that in the interim, Tim Loughton MP, the senior Conservative member, should Chair proceedings.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said Mr Vaz’s future on the party’s ruling National Executive would be discussed when it meets.
Mr Vaz thanked fellow committee members past and present “for their tremendous support”, as well as Commons and committee clerks. He gave a very frank account of what had happened and he told us of his intention to resign as chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee.
She said: “What Keith does is for Keith, and any decisions he wishes to make are for him”.
He said it was in the “best interest” of the committee for it to conduct its business “without any distractions”.
He pointed out that the investigation was initiated by another member of the committee.
Speaking on the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire programme, former mayor of London Ken Livingstone said he had known Mr Vaz for 40 years and said he had always been on the side of social justice.
Chuka Umunna, who has been tipped as next chair of the prestigious committee, said that Vaz had done a “fine job” in the role, but that he “has made the right decision”.
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“With sadness, we all accepted that that was the appropriate course of action that he has taken and we also appreciate the many challenges facing him personally and his family”.
