New UK intelligence committee chairman expelled from ruling parliamentary party -BBC

British lawmaker Julian Lewis was expelled from the parliamentary Conservative Party after he was elected chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee, beating former government minister Chris Grayling, the BBC's political editor said on Wednesday. Grayling was widely reported by newspapers to have been the preferred candidate of Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

British lawmaker Julian Lewis was expelled from the parliamentary Conservative Party after he was elected chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee, beating former government minister Chris Grayling, the BBC's political editor said on Wednesday.

Grayling was widely reported by newspapers to have been the preferred candidate of Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Lewis' election victory involved working with opposition lawmakers on the committee, which scrutinizes the work of the intelligence and security services.

Lewis and the Conservatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment. One of the first jobs of the committee under its new chairman will be to publish a long-awaited report on alleged Russian interference in UK politics.