Harriet Harman elected as new head of MPs’ sleaze watchdog

The former cabinet minister, who led the probe into whether Boris Johnson misled MPs, will replace her party colleague Sir Chris Bryant.

Labour former cabinet minister Harriet Harman has been elected as the new chairwoman of the Commons Standards Committee (House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA) (PA Archive)

Labour veteran Harriet Harman has been elected as the new chairwoman of a key sleaze watchdog in Parliament.

The former cabinet minister, who led the probe into whether Boris Johnson misled MPs, will replace her party colleague Sir Chris Bryant as chair of the Commons Standards Committee.

The role became vacant after Sir Chris was appointed shadow minister for creative industries and digital by Sir Keir Starmer.

The committee oversees the conduct of MPs, supervises the work of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards and makes decisions on individual complaints.

Deputy Speaker Nigel Evans confirmed in the Commons Ms Harman secured 341 votes among MPs.

Labour’s Stella Creasy (Walthamstow) was the other contender.

On Wednesday afternoon, Mr Evans also announced that Labour former cabinet minister Liam Byrne has been elected as the chairman of the Business and Trade committee with 216 votes, and Labour’s Cat Smith (Lancaster and Fleetwood) has secured the role of chairwoman of the Petitions Committee with 227 votes.

All three will take up their positions with immediate effect and will be receiving an additional salary of £17,354 in 2023-24, as select committee chairs.

By agreement of the House, the chairs of the Commons Standards Committee, Business and Trade Committee and Petitions Committee are allocated to the Labour Party.

Mr Byrne said: “It is now vital that we get straight down to work, sustaining the committees’ forensic focus holding ministers to account, exposing corporate bad behaviour and advancing the fight against economic crime.

“Equally, there is a wide consensus that we need to provide serious long-term thinking on how the UK competes with Bidenomics, Brussels and Beijing, de-risks critical supply chains, backs our entrepreneurs and boosts exports, with a special focus on harnessing the net zero transition to re-industrialise Britain.

“Finally, we must develop the big thinking needed on how to best reconnect economic growth and social justice, to ensure the wealth we create is wealth that’s fairly shared.”