Defence Select Committee

The Defence Select Committee is one of the Select Committees of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, having been established in 1979. It examines the expenditure, administration, and policy of the Ministry of Defence and its associated public bodies, including the British Armed Forces. The Committee's remit does not generally review Defence Intelligence which instead falls under the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament.

Membership

As of January 2024, the members of the committee are as follows:


Member Party Constituency
Jeremy Quin (Chair) Conservative Horsham
Sarah Atherton Conservative Wrexham
Martin Docherty-Hughes Scottish National Party West Dunbartonshire
Richard Drax Conservative South Dorset
Mark Francois Conservative Rayleigh and Wickford
Kevan Jones Labour North Durham
Emma Lewell-Buck Labour South Shields
Jesse Norman Conservative Hereford and South Herefordshire
Gavin Robinson Democratic Unionist Party Belfast East
John Spellar Labour Warley
Derek Twigg Labour Halton

Changes since 2019

Date Outgoing Member
& Party
Constituency New Member
& Party
Constituency Source
11 May 2020 Wayne David MP (Labour) Caerphilly Kevan Jones MP (Labour) North Durham Hansard
Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi MP (Labour) Slough Derek Twigg MP (Labour) Halton
5 January 2022 Martin Docherty-Hughes MP (SNP) West Dunbartonshire Dave Doogan MP (SNP) Angus Hansard
25 October 2022 Stuart Anderson MP (Conservative) Wolverhampton South West Andrew Bowie MP (Conservative) West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine Hansard
Sarah Atherton MP (Conservative) Wrexham Robert Courts MP (Conservative) Witney
8 November 2022 Andrew Bowie MP (Conservative) West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine Sarah Atherton MP (Conservative) Wrexham Hansard
12 September 2023 Dave Doogan MP (SNP) Angus Martin Docherty-Hughes MP (SNP) West Dunbartonshire Hansard
14 September 2023 Tobias Ellwood MP (Chair, Conservative) Bournemouth East Vacant Hansard
25 October 2023 Vacant Robert Courts MP (Chair, Conservative) Witney Hansard
Robert Courts MP (Conservative) Witney Vacant
11 December 2023 Vacant Jesse Norman MP (Conservative) Hereford and South Herefordshire Hansard
12 December 2023 Robert Courts MP (Chair, Conservative) Witney Vacant Hansard
17 January 2024 Vacant Jeremy Quin MP (Chair, Conservative) Horsham Hansard

2017–2019 Parliament

The chair was elected on 12 July 2017, with the members of the committee being announced on 11 September 2017.

Member Party Constituency
Julian Lewis (Chair) Conservative New Forest East
Leo Docherty Conservative Aldershot
Martin Docherty-Hughes Scottish National Party West Dunbartonshire
Mark Francois Conservative Rayleigh and Wickford
Graham Jones Labour Hyndburn
Johnny Mercer Conservative Plymouth Moor View
Madeleine Moon Labour Bridgend
Gavin Robinson Democratic Unionist Party Belfast East
Ruth Smeeth Labour Stoke-on-Trent North
John Spellar Labour Warley
Phil Wilson Labour Sedgefield

2015–2017 Parliament

The chair was elected on 18 June 2015, with members being announced on 6 July 2015.

Member Party Constituency
Julian Lewis (Chair) Conservative New Forest East
Richard Benyon Conservative Newbury
Douglas Chapman Scottish National Party Dunfermline and West Fife
James Gray Conservative North Wiltshire
Johnny Mercer Conservative Plymouth Moor View
Madeleine Moon Labour Bridgend
Conor McGinn Labour St Helens North
Jim Shannon Democratic Unionist Party Strangford
Ruth Smeeth Labour Stoke-on-Trent North
John Spellar Labour Warley
Bob Stewart Conservative Beckenham

Changes 2015–2017

Date Outgoing Member
& Party
Constituency New Member
& Party
Constituency Source
26 October 2015 Conor McGinn MP (Labour) St Helens North Phil Wilson MP (Labour) Sedgefield Hansard
31 October 2016 Richard Benyon MP (Conservative) Newbury Jack Lopresti MP (Conservative) Filton and Bradley Stoke Hansard
5 December 2016 Jim Shannon MP (DUP) Strangford Gavin Robinson MP (DUP) Belfast East Hansard

2010–2015 Parliament

The chair was elected on 10 June 2010, with members being announced on 12 July 2010.

Member Party Constituency
James Arbuthnot (Chair) Conservative North East Hampshire
Julian Brazier Conservative Canterbury
Jeffrey Donaldson Democratic Unionist Party Lagan Valley
John Glen Conservative Salisbury
David Hamilton Labour Midlothian
Mike Hancock Liberal Democrats Portsmouth South
Adam Holloway Conservative Gravesham
Madeleine Moon Labour Bridgend
Alison Seabeck Labour Plymouth Moor View
Bob Stewart Conservative Beckenham
Gisela Stuart Labour Birmingham Edgbaston
John Woodcock Labour and Co-op Barrow and Furness

Changes 2010–2015

Date Outgoing Member
& Party
Constituency New Member
& Party
Constituency Source
2 November 2010 Adam Holloway MP (Conservative) Gravesham Penny Mordaunt MP (Conservative) Portsmouth North Hansard
David Hamilton MP (Labour) Midlothian Thomas Docherty MP (Labour) Dunfermline and West Fife
Alison Seabeck MP (Labour) Plymouth Moor View Dai Havard MP (Labour) Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney
John Woodcock MP (Labour and Co-op) Barrow and Furness Sandra Osborne MP (Labour) Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock
24 October 2011 Mike Hancock MP (Liberal Democrats) Portsmouth South Bob Russell MP (Liberal Democrats) Colchester Hansard
5 November 2012 John Glen MP (Conservative) Salisbury Adam Holloway MP (Conservative) Gravesham Hansard
10 June 2013 Sandra Osborne MP (Labour) Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock Derek Twigg MP (Labour) Halton Hansard
4 November 2013 Penny Mordaunt MP (Conservative) Portsmouth North James Gray MP (Conservative) North Wiltshire Hansard
25 November 2013 Thomas Docherty MP (Labour) Dunfermline and West Fife John Woodcock MP (Labour and Co-op) Barrow and Furness Hansard
28 April 2014 James Arbuthnot MP (Chair, Conservative) North East Hampshire Vacant Hansard
14 May 2014 Vacant Rory Stewart MP (Chair, Conservative) Penrith and The Border Hansard
3 November 2014 Julian Brazier MP (Conservative) Canterbury Richard Benyon MP (Conservative) Newbury Hansard
Adam Holloway MP (Conservative) Gravesham Julian Lewis MP (Conservative) New Forest East

Chair of the Defence Select Committee

Chair Party Constituency First elected Method
Michael Mates Conservative East Hampshire 1987 Elected by the Select Committee
Michael Colvin Conservative Romsey and Waterside 1995 Elected by the Select Committee
Bruce George Labour Walsall South 16 July 1997 Elected by the Select Committee
James Arbuthnot Conservative North East Hampshire 13 July 2005 Elected by the Select Committee
(and the House of Commons in 2010)
Rory Stewart Conservative Penrith and The Border 14 May 2014 Elected by the House of Commons
Julian Lewis Conservative New Forest East 17 June 2015 Elected by the House of Commons
Tobias Ellwood Conservative Bournemouth East 29 January 2020 Elected by the House of Commons
Independent
Conservative
Robert Courts Conservative Witney 25 October 2023 Elected by the House of Commons
Jeremy Quin Conservative Horsham 17 January 2023 Elected by the House of Commons

Election results

From June 2010 chairs of select committees have been directly elected by a secret ballot of the whole House of Commons using the alternative vote system. Candidates with the fewest votes are eliminated and their votes redistributed until one remaining candidate has more than half of valid votes. Elections are held at the beginning of a parliament or in the event of a vacancy.

17 January 2024
Candidate 1st round
Votes %
Jeremy Quin 371 78.6
Rehman Chishti 101 21.4
Valid votes 472
25 October 2023
Candidate 1st round
Votes %
Robert Courts 249 57.9
Sarah Atherton 142 33.0
Mark Francois 39 9.1
Valid votes 430
29 January 2020
Candidate 1st round 2nd round 3rd round 4th round
Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes %
Tobias Ellwood 243 256 271 296
Sir Bernard Jenkin 173 183 193 226
Robert Courts 62 68 81 Eliminated
Adam Holloway 45 48 Eliminated
James Gray 39 Eliminated
Not redistributed 0 0 0
Valid votes
12 July 2017
Candidate 1st round
Votes %
Julian Lewis 305 53.5
Johnny Mercer 265 46.5
Not redistributed
Valid votes 570
17 June 2015
Candidate 1st round 2nd round
Votes % Votes %
Julian Lewis 260 44.1 314 56.5
Richard Benyon 208 35.3 242 43.5
Bob Stewart 121 20.5 Eliminated
Not redistributed 33 5.6
Valid votes 589 556
14 May 2014
Candidate 1st round 2nd round 3rd round 4th round 5th round 6th round 7th round
Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes %
Rory Stewart 113 23.6 115 24.1 122 25.7 139 29.3 149 31.9 179 39.3 226 51.6
Julian Lewis 124 25.9 128 26.8 131 27.6 138 29.1 156 33.4 165 36.2 212 48.4
Julian Brazier 68 14.2 71 14.9 71 14.9 77 16.2 90 19.3 112 24.6 Eliminated
Keith Simpson 48 10.0 48 10.1 51 10.7 61 12.8 72 15.4 Eliminated
Bob Stewart 52 10.9 54 11.3 56 11.8 60 12.6 Eliminated
Crispin Blunt 44 9.2 44 9.2 44 9.3 Eliminated
Tobias Ellwood 17 3.5 17 3.6 Eliminated
James Gray 13 2.7 Eliminated
Not redistributed 2 0.4 4 0.8 4 0.8 12 2.5 23 4.8 41 8.6
Valid votes 479 477 475 475 467 456 438
9 June 2010
Candidate 1st round 2nd round 3rd round
Votes % Votes % Votes %
James Arbuthnot 210 36.6 236 42.4 273 52.7
Patrick Mercer 176 30.7 189 33.9 245 47.3
Julian Lewis 115 20.1 132 23.7 Eliminated
Douglas Carswell 72 12.6 Eliminated
Not redistributed 16 2.8 55 9.6
Valid votes 573 557 518

See also


This page was last updated at 2024-02-07 05:40 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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