If anyone out there thinks being an MP is a cushy number, they haven’t been paying attention to the work of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy select committee.
There has been a blizzard of announcements in the past week about the committee’s activities. The increased work rate partly reflects the character of its new chair Rachel Reeves, who took over after the general election.
Until a few years ago, the ex-Bank of England economist was widely tipped to become the first female chancellor. However, after Jeremy Corbyn’s election as Labour leader, Reeves opted not to make herself available to serve in his shadow cabinet.
The Labour front bench’s loss has become the business committee’s gain as Reeves has launched a string of inquiries, including one on the post-Brexit future for the civil nuclear sector.
The BEIS committee’s in tray includes a matter of pressing concern to utilities: scrutiny of the government’s draft energy price caps legislation.
Business secretary Greg Clark wants to use the scrutiny to knock the bill into shape and secure a fast-track passage through Parliament. He may get more than he bargained for. Reeves is not afraid to give the government a hard time, as she displayed in a bad-tempered exchange with climate change minister Claire Perry about the latter’s clean growth plan.
The price caps bill is probably the best opportunity in years Reeves – as a backbench MP – will have to put her stamp on a piece of legislation. She can be expected to grab it.