Select Committee Guide 2018
1 min read
The House magazine is delighted to bring you our essential guide to the work of Select Committees, featuring exclusive contributions from the chairs of the 30 most influential committees in the Commons
In a parliament with no overall majority, backbench MPs get more airtime and have a greater influence on our national life. When they join together, their voices are amplified still further.
The Commons select committees already enjoyed an enhanced reputation after the “Wright reforms” of 2010 raised their status through democratic legitimacy. In the current circumstances they are able to make the weather more than ever.
Some are led by powerful figures not always in tune with their frontbenches, like Yvette Cooper at Home Affairs, Rachel Reeves at BEIS or Nicky Morgan at Treasury. Foreign Affairs has provided an important platform for Tom Tugendhat, a relative newbie now chairing one of parliament’s premier committees. Other chairs such as Frank Field or Julian Lewis are long-standing experts in their field.
Whatever their differing strengths, all these committees will have a crucial role bringing greater clarity and transparency to policy.
To see our Select Committee Guide 2018 in full, please click here
