No rest for select committee chair candidates

Saturday, 5 June 2010 12:05 AM

By Alex Stevenson

Over 40 MPs face the prospect of an election in just four days' time, as candidates have a weekend of campaigning before Wednesday's big vote.

After the excitement of the general election campaign most MPs are settling into the rhythm of everyday politics.

Not the 44 MPs who had already secured the 15 nominations they need from party colleagues to stand for the influential chair role on one of the 21 select committees up for grabs.

Perhaps improbably, the environment, food and rural affairs committee is seeing the most competition, with five candidates already having secured their position on the ballot paper.

Five MPs in running for public spending watchdog chair

Some contests are characterised by goodwill rather than animosity, as Labour backbenchers vie for the business, innovation and skills committee chair.

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Others are more keenly fought. The defence committee remains under a Tory chair in this parliament, but unlike other ex-chairs James Arbuthnot faces challenges on two fronts.

Most MPs have welcomed the election process, but at least one MP remains disillusioned. Paul Flynn's disquiet may be linked to the public administration select committee chair's switch from Labour to Conservative, however.

'Heart torn out' of influential Commons committee

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