Two former shadow children’s ministers and a disability rights campaigner are vying to become chair of the Parliamentary education committee.
Labour MPs Sharon Hodgson, Dr Marie Tidball and Helen Hayes have been confirmed as the three nominees for the role. MPs will vote for their pick on Wednesday.
It means the education committee will have its first woman chair.
The role of chair is a powerful one, as the holder sets the agenda for the committee, which has broad powers to compel ministers and civil servants to testify and provide information and data.
Chairships of committees are allocated proportionately based on the number of MPs a party has.
The education committee was chaired by four Conservatives – Graham Stuart, Neil Carmichael, Robert Halfon and Robin Walker – between 2010 and this year, when Labour regained control after its election landslide.
MPs have to get at least 15 backers from their own party to be nominated, and can also add signatures from other MPs, which they often do to demonstrate cross-party support.
Here are the candidates…
Helen Hayes
Hayes has been the MP for Dulwich and West Norwood since 2015.
She was shadow minister for the cabinet office briefly in 2020, and became shadow children and early years minister in December 2021, serving until this year’s election.
However, she was not appointed to the education team when Labour won power.
Supporters (own party): Jim Dickson, Kim Leadbeater, Toby Perkins, Dawn Butler, Fleur Anderson, Bill Esterson, Florence Eshalomi, Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, Luke Murphy, Tom Rutland, Jess Asato, Rachael Maskell, Claire Hazelgrove, Andy Slaughter, Alistair Strathern, Marsha De Cordova, Ms Polly Billington
Supporters (other parties or no party): Layla Moran, Jerome Mayhew, Kevin Hollinrake
Sharon Hodgson
An MP since 2005, Hodgson currently represents Washington and Gateshead South in the House of Commons.
She served as shadow children and families minister under Ed Miliband between 2010 and 2013, and then again under Jeremy Corbyn from 2015 to 2016.
She has called for Labour to extend free school meals to all primary pupils, and previously even advocated an extension to secondary.
Supporters (own party): Dame Diana Johnson, Andrew Gwynne, Mary Glindon, Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck, Melanie Onn, Emily Thornberry, Jo Platt, Josh Simons, Matthew Patrick, Valerie Vaz, Pamela Nash, Dame Siobhain McDonagh, David Smith, Sarah Champion, Uma Kumaran
Supporters (other parties or no party): Claire Hanna, Liz Saville Roberts, Jim Shannon
Dr Marie Tidball
Dr Marie Tidball was elected as the MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge in Yorkshire at the election in July, defeating Conservative Miriam Cates, one of the last committee’s most outspoken voices.
Tidball is disabled and is a prominent campaigner for disability rights. She studied law at Wadham College, Oxford before pursuing an MSc in criminology and criminal justice and later worked as a policy and legal officer at Autism West Midlands.
Supporters (own party): Lizzi Collinge, Jen Craft, Gill Furniss, Catherine Fookes, Mike Tapp, Jon Pearce, Paul Davies, Jack Abbott, Chris Bloore, Natalie Fleet, Shaun Davies, Dr Simon Opher, Steve Race, Anna Dixon, Mr Luke Charters
Supporters (other parties or no party): Adam Dance, Steve Darling
