WHEN select committees were set up in previous years, the membership and chairmanships mysteriously emerged after negotiations between government and opposition whips, aka “the usual channels”.

But the Wright Committee reforms agreed by the House before the election means a new and quite exciting process is now taking place. First, the head of each committee is reserved for one party or another. So, for example, the education committee, it has been agreed, will be chaired by a Tory. So Tories who are interested in the position are gathering nominations from all sides of the House in advance of a vote by all MPs.

All day I have been approached by colleagues from both parties asking me to nominate them for the chairmanship of one select committee or another. I’ve been happy to oblige, nominating Iain Wright (Hartlepool) for chairmanship of the Public Accounts Committee, Ian Davidson (Glasgow South West) for Scotland, Graham Stringer (Blackley and Broughton) for Science and Technology, Adrian Bailey (West Bromwich West) for Business, Innovation and Skills and Graham Stuart (Beverley and Holderness) for Education.

In fact I was very tempted to go for the chairmanship of the transport committee, but after much consideration, decided I wouldn’t want to stand against Louise Ellman, who took over from the late Gwyneth Dunwoody two years ago. And I’m not quite prepared – yet – to give up hope of taking the fight to the government from the opposition front bench at some point in the future.

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