Nominations open for Environmental Audit Committee Chair

• Environmental Audit Committee
• Nomination form for the select committee chairs (docx, 63KB)
• Election of committee chairs briefing note (docx, 63KB)
• How select committees elect Chairs

The Speaker announced the timetable for the elections on July 30. The period of nominations will run until 4pm on Monday 9 September, with the ballot scheduled for Wednesday 11 September.

The new Chair will be elected from the Labour party under the allocation of committee chairs to political parties which was agreed by the House on 30 July 2024.  

• Allocation of select committee chairs  

Since 2010, most committee chairs have been elected by the whole House, by a system of alternative vote and by secret ballot. To be valid, nominations must contain a signed statement made by the candidate declaring their willingness to stand.

It must be accompanied by the signatures of 15 MPs elected to the Commons as members of the same political party as the candidate (or 10 per cent of the MPs elected to the House as members of that party, whichever is the lower). More than 15 signatures can be collected but only the first 15 valid signatures are printed. Members may only nominate one candidate per select committee.

Nominations may be accompanied by the signatures of up to five MPs elected to the House as members of any party other than to which the chair is allocated or of no party. Similarly, only five such signatures are printed.

Candidates must declare any relevant interests with their nomination. Valid nominations received each day are published with the next day's Order Paper and will be listed below.

Nominations

Candidate: Mr Toby Perkins

Supporters (own party): Mr Clive Betts, Helen Hayes, Michael Payne, Naushabah Khan, Andrew Pakes, Chris Murray, Sarah Champion, Anneliese Midgley, Neil Coyle, Julia Buckley, Callum Anderson, Claire Hazelgrove, Matt Western, Ms Polly Billington, Blair McDougall

Supporters (other parties or no party): David Mundell, Sir Desmond Swayne, Alison Griffiths, Alex Burghart, Colum Eastwood

Relevant interests declared: None

Supporting statement:

There is nothing more precious and crucial in this parliament than protecting our natural environment and ensuring the government take serious action on climate change.

In submitting my name for consideration as chair of the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC), I aim to play my part in ensuring that this parliament does not fail to grasp the urgency of the dual climate and nature crisis confronting it.

Having served as a Shadow Environment Minister in the last parliament, I’m personally invested in ensuring that this government delivers on the promises it made in opposition.

I was at the heart of Labour’s commitments on nature, water and wildlife and aim to ensure that work, and the work of the predecessor EAC is not wasted. I had a hands-on approach to my role and travelled the breadth of the country to investigate issues firsthand and gain understanding through direct experience.

I’d replicate this approach as Chair and lead a hands-on and informed committee that reflects the voices of people in every corner of our country, through engagement away from Whitehall committee rooms.

As a former business owner, I know how important it is that government schemes actually deliver.

The previous government’s Environment Act already commits the UK to ambitious and essential targets to avert nature’s decline and achieve species abundance, but it’s not yet clear what actions government will take to ensure that we finally get on track to achieve these goals.

The role of the Committee will be crucial in scrutinising how government meets these objectives.

As an MP for a community badly hit by floods in 2007 and 2023, I’ve been campaigning for a long-term approach to address the growing numbers of communities at risk of flooding.

I have always tried to be a champion for the environment and the natural world and have listened to voices from across the sector. From accompanying Derbyshire Wildlife Trust on a crack of dawn  badger vaccination to meeting the shooting fraternity on a grouse moor to learn about their approach to conservation, I never close the door on anyone.

The task facing the Government on the climate crisis is significant, and to truly make the changes we need will require cross-party collaboration, and buy-in from communities, businesses, environmental organisations and experts.

We need a Chair that will listen, lead and be solution focused.

The role of the EAC is unique in that it does not focus solely on the work of one department but cuts across departmental lines.

My experience in various shadow ministerial roles (in education, defence, environment and business), will be vital in this cross-cutting work.

The climate and nature crises are urgent and I hope that the work of the committee I lead, will both assist and press the government and other contributors to the sector to get Britain on track to Net Zero. 

Candidate: Barry Gardiner

Supporters (own party): Uma Kumaran, Dame Siobhain McDonagh, Ruth Jones, Olivia Blake, Florence Eshalomi, Patricia Ferguson, Dr Zubir Ahmed, Grahame Morris, Valerie Vaz, Mrs Sharon Hodgson, Debbie Abrahams, Dawn Butler, Cat Smith, Markus Campbell-Savours, Frank McNally

Supporters (other parties or no party):  Bob Blackman, Sir Bernard Jenkin, Mr Andrew Mitchell, Ben Lake, Kevin Hollinrake

Relevant interests declared: None 

Further information  

• Election of House of Commons Select Committee Chairs 

Image credit: House of Commons