Benn takes on Hoey as battle to run Brexit committee echoes referendum race

The race to become the first chair of the select committee set up to scrutinise the Government’s approach to Brexit has become a tussle between a leading Labour Remainer and one of the few Westminster proponents for Leave in the party.

Hilary Benn, former shadow Foreign Secretary, will take on prominent Labour leaver Kate Hoey to be chair of the new Brexit committee. A surprising late nomination for Hoey in the contest stopped the possibility of Benn taking the chair role unopposed.

The votes for the positions will take place tomorrow, Wednesday October 19, among MPs of all parties between 10am and 1.30pm.

Benn has received nominations from former Labour leader Ed Miliband, former shadow Europe ministers Pat McFadden, Emma Reynolds and Pat Glass, as well as former leadership contenders Angela Eagle and Liz Kendall.

Hoey has been nominated by fellow Labour Outers including John Mann and Gisela Stuart, current shadow Cabinet minister Clive Lewis, and some of Jeremy Corbyn’s old allies such as Dennis Skinner. However, her most surprising backer may be the former First Minister of Scotland, the avowedly Europhile Alex Salmond.

The Vauxhall MP is believed to have run against Benn because she believes the committee would be better run by someone who voted Leave and feels a “particular responsibility to make a success of it”, unlike the vocally pro-EU former frontbencher. Given her strongly anti-EU position, she could be able to corral support from the Tory benches.

However, Benn is still considered the frontrunner for the role. His high profile in Parliament could work to his advantage, and won vital cross-party respect following his intervention on the debate over airstrikes against ISIS in Syria.

You can see the full list of nominations below.

Hilary Benn

Nominated by (own party)

Ed Miliband, Paul Blomfield, Emma Reynolds, Angela Eagle, Dan Jarvis, Thangham Debbonaire, Kevan Jones, Seema Malhotra, Pat McFadden, Liz Kendall, Helen Hayes, Andy Burnham, Gareth Thomas, Pat Glass, Jack Dromey.

Nominated by (other parties)

Anna Soubry, Mark Durkan, Andrew Mitchell, Dr Sarah Wollaston, John Nicolson.

Kate Hoey

Nominated by (own party)

Roger Godsiff, John Mann, Dennis Skinner, Graham Stringer, Clive Lewis, Frank Field, Kelvin Hopkins, Gisela Stuart, Paul Flynn, Jim Cunningham, Stephen Helpburn, David Anderson, Geoffrey Robinson, Ian Lavery, Ronnie Campbell.

Nominated by (other parties)

Theresa Villiers, Nigel Dodds, Laurence Robertson, Alex Salmond, Charlie Elphicke.