Friday 11 June 2010

Margaret Hodge named head of public accounts committee

The Blairite former minister Margaret Hodge was today rewarded by MPs of all parties for her comprehensive election defeat of the BNP in her Barking constituency when she was elected as the chair of one of the most powerful Commons committees.  Hodge will head the public accounts committee – responsible for vetting government spending – after winning the job in the first ever select committee elections.  


The committees mirror government departments, conducting inquiries into policies and scrutinising value for money.  After a week of electioneering, the results were announced by the speaker in the Commons today.  Other notable winners included the Conservative Andrew Tyrie, who beat Michael Fallon for the chair of the treasury committee, which will play a vital role as the chancellor tackles the nation's deficit.  Clive Betts, the long-standing Labour Sheffield MP, beat the former communities minister Nick Raynsford for the chair of the communities and local government committee by just three votes.

The elections symbolise a dramatic shift in power from the front benches to the back benches and from the political parties and executive back to parliament.