From railways to prisons, his string of gaffes

÷ Months of chaos on Thameslink and Northern Rail after a disastrous change in timetables last year.

÷ As Justice Secretary he banned families sending books to prisoners in 2012 – later overturned by High Court judges.

÷ New fees of up to £1,200 for launching tribunals against rogue bosses was ruled unlawful.

÷ Oversaw £200million contract for prison services to Carillion – the outsourcing giant that collapsed under huge debts last year.

÷ Training deal worth £5.9million for Saudi Arabia’s notorious jails was scrapped in a row over the kingdom’s human rights record.