COMMONS SELECT COMMITTEES COMMITTEE ON THE FUTURE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION April 2020
COMMITTEE PRIORITIES Hilary Benn was first elected chair of the committee, formerly known as the Exiting the European Union committee, in 2016 and continues in post. The committee was renamed following the UK’s departure from the EU at the end of January.
Rather than scrutinising the work of a particular Government department, Mr Benn has said his committee will monitor the progress made by the Government in its negotiations with the EU in terms of the future relationship. It is therefore likely much of their focus will be on the Cabinet Office and Number 10.
For the moment, the Prime Minister remains determined that the UK’s transition period with the EU must end at the end of 2020 so the committee’s long term future remains in doubt. However, issues caused by the Coronavirus on both sides of the Channel may mean the committee continues its work beyond the end of 2020.
This committee is larger than standard select committees of 11 in size and has 21 members. The rationale for its larger size was to include members from more political parties. However, critics have suggested it was deliberately made bigger to avoid it being able to reach consensus and undermine any of its conclusions.
Chair profile Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP [email protected] Labour / Leeds Central – 1999 (by-election)
Hilary Benn is a hugely experienced parliamentarian having served continuously in the Cabinet from 2003 to 2010, first as Secretary of State for International Development and later leading the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Department. Following Labour’s election loss in 2010, he was a member of the Opposition Shadow Cabinet, including as Shadow Foreign Secretary. He left Labour’s frontbench in 2016 and was elected as the inaugural Chair of the Exiting the European Union Select committee.
Member profiles
Peter Bone MP [email protected] Conservative / Wellingborough – Intake 2005
Peter Bone is a qualified chartered accountant and leading eurosceptic. He has been a member of the committee since the 2017 General Election. Mr Bone is also a longstanding member of the Panel of Chairs, the members of which are responsible for chairing public bill committees and debates in Westminster Hall.
Sir Christopher Chope MP [email protected] Conservative / Christchurch – Intake 1983 & 1997
Sir Christopher Chope is a barrister by trade and a longstanding eurosceptic. He is perhaps best known for regularly objecting to private members bills which, in his view, would not receive sufficient parliamentary scrutiny before becoming law. Sir Christopher served as a junior Environment and Transport Minister between 1986 and 1992.
Mark Eastwood MP [email protected] Conservative / Dewsbury – Intake 2019
Mark Eastwood is a newly elected MP who lists his priorities as supporting businesses in his constituency to create jobs, helping young people get on the housing ladder, protecting green spaces and wildlife and delivering a Brexit outcome which respects the referendum result. He describes himself as a successful businessman. COMMITTEE ON THE FUTURE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION
Matt Vickers MP [email protected] Conservative / Stockton South – Intake 2019
Matt Vickers has been a MP for Stockton South since the 2019 general election, taking the seat from Labour’s Paul Williams. He has taken a particular interest in policing and boosting local infrastructure. Mr Vickers was born and raised in Stockton.
Dr Jamie Wallis MP [email protected] Conservative / Bridgend – Intake 2019
Before becoming an MP in December, Jamie Wallis served as a member of Pencoed council and was the Managing Director at a digital forensic consultancy. He is also a member of the Welsh Affairs committee.
Gary Sambrook MP [email protected] Conservative / Birmingham Northfield – Intake 2019
Gary Sambrook defeated the Labour incumbent Richard Burden, becoming the first Conservative MP for Northfield since 1992. Mr Sambrook remains for the moment a councillor on Birmingham City Council. He previously worked in Parliament for MP James Morris.
Mark Fletcher MP [email protected] Conservative / Bolsover – Intake 2019
Mark Fletcher is a newly elected MP and fervent Brexiteer. He holds a particular interest in unlocking the untapped economic potential in the Midlands and the North, and for building stronger trading relations with African economies. Prior to his election to Parliament he worked in international trade for the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Uganda and Rwanda, before working in the healthcare sector.
Antony Higginbotham MP [email protected] Conservative / Burnley – Intake 2019
Anthony Higginbotham became the first Conservative to represent Burnley in Parliament since 1910 when he won the seat in December. His priorities include efforts to rebalance the UK’s economy and ensuring that northern towns are seriously considered for large infrastructure projects. His time in the Army Cadets gave him a strong interest in the UK’s defence policy and improving support for veterans and those still serving in the military.
Nigel Mills MP [email protected] Conservative / Amber Valley – Intake 2010
Nigel Mills is an experienced select committee member and prominent Brexiteer. Before becoming MP, he advised businesses as an accountant on international tax issues, especially on inward investment into the UK. Mr Mills is also a member of the Work and Pensions committee.
Sally-Ann Hart MP [email protected] Conservative / Hastings and Rye – Intake 2019
Sally-Ann Hart is a newly elected MP, succeeding Amber Rudd. Before entering Parliament Ms Hart worked in family law. In addition to the future relationship with the EU, Ms Hart takes a particular interest in local transport infrastructure and house building. COMMITTEE ON THE FUTURE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION
Nicola Richards MP [email protected] Conservative / West Bromwich East – Intake 2019
Following university, Nicola Richards worked as a communications officer for the Stourbridge MP Margot James. Ms Richards then worked in public relations for the Jewish Leadership Council, and the Holocaust Educational Trust. She is West Bromwich East’s first Conservative MP since 1974 and is also a member of the Women and Equalities committee.
Jane Stevenson MP [email protected] Conservative/Wolverhampton North East – Intake 2019
Before Jane Stevenson was elected to parliament, and somewhat atypically for an MP, she worked as a classical singer and singing teacher. She is a Brexiteer and was a city councillor in Wolverhampton.
Florence Eshalomi MP [email protected] Labour / Vauxhall – Intake 2019
Florence Eshalomi may be new to Parliament but she is an experienced politician, continuing to serve as the London Assembly member for Lambeth and Southwark as well as being a former Brixton Hill councillor. Ms Eshalomi has previously worked in a number of campaigning and public affairs roles, including for the Runnymede Trust and Four Communications.
Stephen Kinnock MP [email protected] Labour / Aberavon – Intake 2015
Stephen Kinnock was appointed as a Shadow Foreign Office Minister by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer in April 2020. He is therefore expected to step down from this select committee.
Dr Rupa Huq MP [email protected] Labour / Ealing Central and Acton – Intake 2015
Rupa Huq was a vocal supporter of the UK’s membership of the EU and is a new member of this committee. In October 2016, Dr Huq was appointed as Shadow Home Office Minister for Crime Prevention but resigned less than nine months later in order to defy the Labour whip and vote for a pro-single market amendment to the 2017 Queen’s Speech.
Seema Malhotra MP [email protected] Labour (Co-op)/Feltham and Heston – Intake 2011 (by-election)
Seema Malhotra was appointed as a Shadow Work and Pensions Minister by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer in April 2020. She is therefore expected to step down from this select committee.
Mathew Pennycook MP [email protected] Labour / Greenwich and Woolwich – Intake 2015
Matthew Pennycook was appointed as Shadow Minister for Climate Change by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer in April 2020. He is therefore expected to step down from this select committee. COMMITTEE ON THE FUTURE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION
Wes Streeting MP [email protected] Labour / Ilford North – Intake 2015
Wes Streeting was appointed as Shadow Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer in April 2020. He is therefore expected to step down from this select committee.
Joanna Cherry QC MP [email protected] SNP / Edinburgh South West – Intake 2015
Joanna Cherry has been the SNP Spokesperson for the Home Department and Justice since her election to Parliament. She is also an ever-present member of this committee. Ms Cherry was the leading litigant in the Scottish court case challenging the five-week prorogation of Parliament in 2019. Her case, together with a case brought in England and Wales, was ultimately successful in the Supreme Court resulting in Parliament being recalled.
Dr Philippa Whitford MP [email protected] SNP / Central Ayrshire – Intake 2015
In addition to Philippa Whitford’s membership of this committee she is also the SNP’s spokesperson on Europe. As a qualified surgeon, Dr Whitford’s professional expertise are on health issues and she remains the SNP’s spokesperson on health, a role she has held since 2017.
Committee email address: [email protected] Phone: 020 7219 4826 Gordon Clarke, Clerk: [email protected] Dr Ariella Huff, Senior Committee Specialist: [email protected] Estelle Currie, Senior Media Officer: [email protected]
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