The members of the new Commons culture, media and sport select committee have emerged – and there isn’t a single female or non-white MP among the 11 successful candidates.
It is understood that not a single woman stood for any of the elections held by parties to decide who they send to the committee.
The new panel, headed by Jesse Norman, includes a number of familiar faces: Labour’s Paul Farrelly, a member since 2005; the Conservatives’ Damian Collins, a member from 2010 to 2012; and Labour’s Steve Rotherham, a member from 2011 until the end of the last parliament.
Collins, and new member, Tory MP Jason McCartney, were in the hunt to replace John Whittingdale, now culture secretary, as the committee’s chairman.
Overall, six of the 11 members are Conservative MPs.
They include Andrew Bingham, a member of the European scrutiny committee from 2013 to 2015; Nigel Huddleston, newly elected as an MP in May; and Nigel Adams, an MP since 2010.
Four Labour MPs are on the committee, including Ian Lucas, most recently shadow defence minister during the last parliament, and the newly-elected Chris Matheson.
The final spot has been taken by the SNP’s John Nicolson.
