Rachel Reeves has been re-elected unopposed as chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee, whilst Greg Clark is in the running to head up the Science and Technology Committee.
When nominations closed last night, Reeves was the only MP to have been nominated to chair the committee, which scrutinises the work of the BEIS department.
Reeves, who served as shadow secretary of state for work and pensions when Ed Miliband was Labour leader, has held the role since the 2017 general election.
The chairmanship is one of nine retained by Labour, which has had to surrender several to the Conservatives after the opposition party’s heavy general election defeat slashed its House of Commons representation.
The Tories have also secured the chairmanship of the Science and Technology Committee, which ex-business and energy secretary Greg Clark is vying to head, from the Liberal Democrats.
Clark, who was sacked from the government in prime minister Boris Johnson’s first reshuffle last summer, is up against fellow Tory MP Stephen Metcalfe.
Two Conservative MPs, Philip Dunne and Matthew Offord are facing off to chair the Environment Audit Committee (EAC), which was presided over by former Wakefield Labour MP Mary Creagh until her defeat at last month’s general election.
Offord, who is the longest serving Conservative member of the EAC, said he will strive to hold the government to account on environmental standards, which he says “cannot afford” to fall behind those of the EU.
Dunne, the MP for Ludlow in Shropshire, has said that he will prioritise efforts to tackle the climate emergency if elected.
The election for the contested select committee chairmanships will take place tomorrow (29 January) and the results announced by House of Commons speaker Lindsay Hoyle.
Neil Parish has been returned unopposed as chairman of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee.