Select committee elections unpacked: More than 100 new Labour MPs win roles

Some 120 new Labour MPs have landed roles on Commons select committees, new LabourList analysis of elections held this week reveals.

Our research suggests MPs newly elected in Labour’s July landslide bagged more than four in five of the places  earmarked for the party on the high-profile committees, tasked with holding government to account across departments.

It means almost half of the new 2024 intake are now on select committees. A string of others became ministers or parliamentary private secretaries soon after the election.

The MPs who joined the Commons just a few months ago were elected to committees through an internal Parliamentary Labour Party ballot. Labour ruled that at least half of its members on each committee should be women.

READ MORE: Commons select committee members: Full list of Labour MPs picked for roles

Among the 143 Labour MPs now holding committee roles, 77 are women and 70 men. Among the new intake, there was a 50/50 split, with 60 men and 60 women elected.

Only three MPs were elected who have been in parliament since Labour last came into power in 1997: Derek Twigg, Barry Gardiner and Siobhain McDonagh.  Only 20 have been in the Commons since at least 2017.

At the election Labour gained 209 seats to take its MP tally to 411, though seven MPs have since lost the whip and one resigned it.

Some 243 MPs were new in 2024, however, with MPs in newly held seats accompanied by others who replaced standing-down MPs in seats Labour already held.

READ MORE: Labour’s first Budget 2024: What policies could Rachel Reeves announce?

SHARE: If you have anything to share that we should be looking into or publishing about this story – or any other topic involving Labour– contact us (strictly anonymously if you wish) at [email protected]. 

SUBSCRIBE: Sign up to LabourList’s morning email here for the best briefing on everything Labour, every weekday morning. 

DONATE: If you value our work, please donate to become one of our supporters here and help sustain and expand our coverage.

PARTNER: If you or your organisation might be interested in partnering with us on sponsored events or content, email [email protected].