New select committee chairs elected

The new chairs of the select committees have been announced. Before 2009, the party whips handed out the chairmanships of these committees but now they are voted in by MPs. As well as several returning chairs, there are a few interesting new appointments.

Labour’s Frank Field will be an effective chair of the Work and Pensions committee, holding the government to account over roll out of Universal Credit and the £12 billion cuts to welfare spending. Jesse Norman steps back into the limelight as chair of the Culture, Media and Sport committee, after being passed over for a job in the new government. Andrew Tyrie and Keith Vaz remain in place as chair of the important Treasury and Home select committees, while Meg Hillier takes over from Margaret Hodge on the Public Accounts Committee. Here is a full list of all the new chairs:

Treasury: Andrew Tyrie (Con)

Home: Keith Vaz (Lab)

Foreign Affairs: Crispin Blunt (Con)

Health: Sarah Wollaston (Con)

Work and Pensions: Frank Field (Lab)