Reform and SNP MPs criticise ‘unfair’ committees in call for more representation

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The Leader of the House of Commons Lucy Powell said the modernisation committee would “bring a more strategic lens” to implementing the recommendations of existing committees. During the debate Ms Blackman said: “Given the breakdown that committees are likely to fall in, does understand that only three parties will be represented on that committee and it would be possible to flex it slightly and still keep it relatively small, but have voices from more than just three parties?” Ms Powell replied that the make up “is an unfortunate case of the mathematics of how these things are considered across all select committees” but sought to assure Ms Blackman that she would “commit to there being regular and meaningful engagement with any and all parties represented in this house.” Reform UK MP Lee Anderson intervened to say: “This for me seems a little bit unfair. “Yet we’ve got a party, they’ve got three and a half million votes that will have plenty of representation on the committees, does the Leader think that’s fair?” Ms Powell responded: “The House is considered in terms of its members not in terms of the popular vote, and that is a consequence of those formulas which are long standing and have brought about effective representation on many select committees.” The Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice kept pressure on Ms Powell, telling her: “ has just made a very good case and asked you a specific question. “And you have it in your power to change this in the matter of fairness and listening to smaller parties and I think constituents all over the country, if you don’t agree with that, will find that absolutely astonishing.” The Leader of the House said: “What is fair is that this House is made up of members of Parliament who are elected by their constituency and then subsequent subcommittees, if you like select committees, of this House are then made up a proportion of those members of this House, that is what is fair, and that is always been the case.