Veteran Labour MPs have had their noses put out of joint by new arrivals to Westminster trying to get elected to powerful positions chairing House of Commons select committees, sources have said.
At least half a dozen new Labour MPs are on the shortlist for influential roles on committees including justice, education and housing in a hotly contested vote among MPs from all parties on Wednesday. Others tried to run but fell short on numbers, or changed their minds.
However, the move has raised eyebrows among some more experienced MPs, with suggestions that the new arrivals not only have broken Westminster convention, but also overstepped the mark with colleagues. “They need to do their time first,” one MP said.
“How can you chair a select committee if you haven’t even been on one?” another added. “It’s so arrogant to think they already have the relevant experience”.
Some of the new intake running for roles, however, have avoided the ire of more experienced colleagues. Melanie Onn, who is going for the net zero committee, and Gareth Snell, on the shortlist for the procedure committee, have both been MPs before, returning to parliament in 2024.
Gregor Poynton and Patricia Ferguson, both new Scottish MPs, are running to chair the Scottish affairs committee. Before the election, Labour had only two MPs in Scotland, both now in ministerial roles.
With Labour set to hold the majority of select committee roles, more experienced MPs are also in the running for two of the most coveted positions – Emily Thornberry going for foreign affairs and Meg Hillier for Treasury. If unopposed on Monday they will automatically take the roles.
Other parliamentary veterans are running for committee chairs, including Helen Hayes for education, Sarah Champion for international development and Liam Byrne for business, after elections for the posts were introduced in 2010, with potential nominees required to secure cross-party support.
While party whips are thought to play a role in which MPs get support, this generally happens below the radar. Labour sources denied claims that Keir Starmer and the No 10 operation had encouraged members of the 2024 intake to go for powerful chair positions so they could control them.
Select committees are responsible for scrutinising the work of government departments and agencies, and are one of the few vehicles through which MPs can investigate ministers and key stakeholders, including company executives and senior civil servants.
New MPs running for chair roles include Marie Tidball, the MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge and a disability rights campaigner, who is going for education. Former army officer Mike Tapp, the MP for Dover and Deal, hopes to become chair of the justice committee.
Norwich North MP, Alice MacDonald, a former charity campaigner, is going for international development and Telford MP Shaun Davies, a former council leader, has thrown his hat in the ring for housing and local government.
