MPs lobbying other MPs for support
MPs recently had the opportunity to elect members to the 22 select committees. Parliamentary reforms mean committee places are now up for democratic grabs, rather than being in the gift of the whips. And many of them were hotly contested.
First came the elections for the chairs. As the nominations deadline passed, my inbox and postbag bulged from the emails and letters (often with handwritten notes) that I received from more than 50 hopefuls. I learnt that a number of my new colleagues had excellent teamwork skills, were well versed in their chosen subject area, and had heaps of relevant experience. According to themselves.
In case I needed to speak to an entrant about their candidacy, they all very kindly included their mobile number (which has been very helpful for my new phonebook).
Some candidates had done serious homework, in what must have been a tedious process for their researchers, refering to my constituency, or to my professional background in their canvassing communication. One candidate shared a copy of a booklet they had produced on their select committee’s subject area, to help with local campaigning.
On election day, the first-floor committee corridor was lined with candidates seeking support. One contender went for a brightly coloured comedy rosette to stand out.
Once the chairs were elected, each party used their own procedure to select their allocated number of select committee members.
I put myself forward for the business, innovation and skills select committee. It is the most relevant to my constituency and the most strongly related to my experience.
As a new MP who is still without a full complement of staff, and having not yet learnt how to mail-merge an email, my request to colleagues for support was a generic affair. With the obligatory headshot photo, I went for three bullets outlining why I deserved one of the four Labour spots. I then pursued my target list of 50 supporters throughout election day. Like several other Members, I used text to remind voters about the election and my candidacy.
I was delighted to be successful, joining Rachel Reeves, Jack Dromey and Chi Onwurah as the Labour members of the BIS committee (which is chaired by Adrian Bailey, also a Labour MP). Two meetings in, and we’re already very busy. We’ve questioned Vince Cable and we have a full programme of inquiry ahead.
29th July 2010 by Luciana Berger MP
