News

Select Committee chair elections: who won and can they work together? - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 47

13 Sep 2024
©UK Parliament (Individual portrait photos - CC BY 3.0)
©UK Parliament (Individual portrait photos - CC BY 3.0)

In this episode, we explore the outcomes and implications of the latest Select Committee Chair elections in Parliament. The newly elected chairs will play a pivotal role in scrutinising the government, but can they effectively work together? We talk to Dr. Marc Geddes, a leading expert on Select Committees, who highlights how this year’s competitive elections compare to previous parliaments and what that could mean for committee dynamics in the future.

What did the candidates promise in their nomination papers? We discover the unique candidacy of one MP who ran on a platform of "Stop this Nonsense," railing against the flood of campaign emails and leaflets during the election process (or what she described as the “Select Committee Chair silly season”). Another newly elected chair is proposing weekly summaries of public hearings in a "crop and drop" format, allowing colleagues to easily communicate updates to their constituents.

Throughout the episode, we tackle listeners' pressing questions:

  • how much influence do party leaders wield in Select Committee elections?

  • which committee chairs are likely to make it to the government frontbench before the next election?

  • how do Select Committees decide which inquiries to prioritise?

  • what role does public engagement play in their inquiries?

In addition, Ruth and Mark dissect the latest Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) session. Despite the influx of new MPs, PMQs remains a spectacle of soundbites and jeering, with little progress on substantive debate. They discuss how newer MPs seem to be following in the footsteps of the old guard, continuing the orchestrated shouting matches led by party whips.

One key issue raised during this PMQs was Rishi Sunak’s focus on whether the government will publish an Impact Assessment related to the decision to means-test the Winter Fuel Allowance. Ruth explains the significance of Impact Assessments and why they matter for government transparency and accountability.

The episode also explores the political dilemma faced by Labour MPs who abstained from the Winter Fuel Allowance vote. Voting against the motion would allow the wealthiest to continue receiving the benefit, while voting for it would mean supporting means-testing, potentially disadvantaging struggling constituents. Ruth and Mark debate whether constituents will understand the nuances behind MPs' decisions to abstain and how this might impact their future support.

©

Dr Marc Geddes

Marc Geddes is a Senior Lecturer in Politics at the University of Edinburgh and a Research Fellow at the Institute for Parliamentary Research in Berlin. Marc's research focuses on the role of parliaments and their place in democratic politics. In 2020, he published Dramas at Westminster: Select Committees and the Quest for Accountability, which offers a detailed analysis of the work and dynamics of Select Committees in the UK Parliament. He is the former Co-Convenor of the Political Studies Association's Parliaments Group and the former Co-Director of the Centre for Science, Knowledge and Policy at Edinburgh.

  • Prime Minister's Questions: how are the new MPs performing?

  • Winter Fuel Allowance vote: did we learn anything from the debates in the House of Commons and Lords?

  • Impact Assessments for legislation: why do they matter?

  • Select Committee chair elections: how do the results compare with previous years?

  • Select Committee scrutiny: will it be siloed or more strategic?

  • Select Committee candidate nominations: who promised what?

  • How much influence do party leaders wield in Select Committee elections?

  • Are Select Committee chairs likely to make it to the government frontbench before the next election?

  • How do Select Committees decide which inquiries to prioritise?

  • What role does public engagement play in their inquiries?

  • The Liaison Committee: how will its chair be chosen?

  • The Modernisation Committee: how much institutional knowledge do its members have?

Hansard Society

Marc Geddes

House of Commons

Please note, this transcript is automatically generated. There are consequently minor errors and the text is not formatted according to our style guide. If you wish to reference or cite the transcript copy below, please first check against the audio version above.

Intro: [00:00:00] You are listening to Parliament Matters, a Hansard Society production, supported by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. Learn more at hansardsociety.org.uk/PM.

Ruth Fox: Welcome to Parliament Matters, the podcast about the institution at the heart of our democracy, Parliament itself. I'm Ruth Fox. And

Mark D'Arcy: I'm Mark D'Arcy.

Ruth Fox: Coming up. Meet the new kids on the committee corridor. What are the challenges facing the newly elected chairs of the Commons Select Committees? We'll be talking to parliamentary expert Mark Geddes, who's been crawling through the detail of the elections.

Mark D'Arcy: No change for the better at PMQs. The Commons Weekly Highlight is still as trivial and shouty as ever.

Ruth Fox: And the gathering financial storm. We're a month away from the budget, and everything in politics is now about the money.[00:01:00]

Mark D'Arcy: But let's start, shall we Ruth, with Prime Minister's Question Time....

Subscribe to Parliament Matters

Use the links below to subscribe to the Hansard Society's Parliament Matters podcast on your preferred app, or search for 'Parliament Matters' on whichever podcasting service you use. If you are unable to find our podcast, please email us here.

News / Parliament gagged by super-injunction? A conversation with Joshua Rozenberg - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 101

Legal expert Joshua Rozenberg joins us this week to unpack the legal and constitutional ramifications of one of the most troubling intersections of government secrecy, national security, and parliamentary accountability in recent memory. Thousands of Afghans who had worked with British forces were placed at risk of Taliban revenge attacks after a catastrophic government data leak in 2022 exposed their details. In response, ministers secured a “super-injunction” – so secret that even its existence could not be reported – effectively silencing public debate and preventing parliamentary scrutiny for almost two years. The breach, only revealed this week, led to a covert resettlement scheme which has already cost taxpayers millions of pounds. Please help us by completing our Listener Survey. It will only take a few minutes.

18 Jul 2025
Read more

News / One year on: How is Parliament performing? - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 100

In our 100th episode, we take stock of Parliament one year after the 2024 general election. With a fractured opposition, a dominant Labour government, and a House of Commons still governed by rules designed for a two-party system, how well is this new Parliament really functioning? Please help us by completing our Listener Survey. It will only take a few minutes.

11 Jul 2025
Read more

News / Labour's welfare meltdown - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 99

It’s been a bruising week for the Government, as a Labour backbench revolt forced ministers to gut their own welfare reforms live in the House of Commons. We explore why Sir Keir Starmer appears to have such a poor grip on parliamentary management. Plus, House of Lords reform expert Professor Meg Russell explains why the hereditary peers bill may be a once-in-a-generation chance to tackle deeper issues — like curbing prime ministerial patronage and reducing the bloated size of the upper chamber. And in Dorking, faith and politics collide over assisted dying. Please help us by completing our Listener Survey. It will only take a few minutes.

04 Jul 2025
Read more

News / What Westminster gets wrong about the NHS - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 98

We are joined this week by two guests who bring invaluable insight into the intersection of health policy and parliamentary life. Dr. Sarah Wollaston and Steve Brine – both former MPs, health policy experts, and co-hosts of the podcast Prevention is the New Cure – share their experiences of how the House of Commons handles health and social care. Please help us by completing our Listener Survey. It will only take a few minutes.

27 Jun 2025
Read more

Submissions / Parliamentary scrutiny of treaties - Our evidence to the House of Lords International Agreements Committee

Our evidence on treaty scrutiny has been published by the House of Lords International Agreements Committee. Our submission outlines the problems with the existing framework for treaty scrutiny and why legislative and cultural change are needed to improve Parliament's scrutiny role. Our evidence joins calls for a parliamentary consent vote for the most significant agreements, a stronger role for Parliament in shaping negotiating mandates and monitoring progress, and a sifting committee tasked with determining which agreements warrant the greatest scrutiny.

03 Jun 2025
Read more