If an MP has been overlooked for a government role, a coveted select committee chairmanship can provide an important platform in Parliament. As a result, lots of Tories have been jostling and manoeuvring in the past week to be in a with a short of just this. Now, the results are in:
Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Labour) – Rachel Reeves
Communities and Local Government (Labour) – Clive Betts
Defence (Conservative) – Dr Julian Lewis
Education (Conservative) – Robert Halfon
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Conservative) – Neil Parish
Foreign Affairs (Conservative) – Tom Tugendhat
Northern Ireland Affairs (Conservative) – Dr Andrew Murrison
Science and Technology (Liberal Democrat) – Norman Lamb
Transport (Labour) – Lilian Greenwood
Treasury (Conservative) – Nicky Morgan
And, elected under a different standing order: Backbench Business Committee (Opposition party) – Ian Mearns
It’s notable that Nicky Morgan beat Jacob Rees Mogg to become chair of the Treasury select committee. She is the first woman to hold the role – and her bid will be seen as a win for those pushing for a ‘softer’ Brexit. Many Labour moderates got behind her – keen that a Brexiteer did not get the plum role.
However, the most interesting results relate to the Foreign Affairs and Defence select committees where two MPs from the younger generation of Conservatives were trying to challenge the old guard. While Jonny Mercer missed out on the chairmanship of defence to Julian Lewis, Tom Tugendhat did successfully win chairmanship of the Foreign Affairs select committee. He usurps Crispin Blunt and is the first of the 2015 intake to chair a select committee. As a member of the new generation of Tories, he will now have a platform where he can speak freely – unlike in a junior ministerial post – and consequently hold more sway with the old guard of the party.
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