Standard content for Members only
To continue reading this article, please login to your Utility Week account, Start 14 day trial or Become a member.
If your organisation already has a corporate membership and you haven’t activated it simply follow the register link below. Check here.
The field of Labour MP’s in contention for the lead role within the Environmental Audit Committee has narrowed to three as nominations for the chair position closed on Wednesday evening.
As tipped by Utility Week last week the nominations have been given to Barry Gardiner, Huw Irranca-Davies and Alan Whitehead.
All three men have a strong political background in environmental issues.
Irranca-Davies served as a shadow Defra minister from 2011-15, following his 2010-11 tenure on the shadow Decc team.
Meanwhile, Gardiner held the position of minister for biodiversity within Defra before he was appointed shadow minister for the natural environment and fisheries, a position he continues to hold in addition to taking up the position of shadow water minister. Both Gardiner and Whitehead served on the Energy and Climate Change select committee in the previous parliamentary term, but Whitehead is arguably the candidate with the greatest focus on the UK energy industry.
While serving on the Energy and Climate Change (ECC) Committee, the all-party Parliamentary Renewable and Sustainable Energy Group and as a member of the Environmental Audit Committee Whitehead was an outspoken critic of the government’s support of shale gas development.
The ECC committee received just one nomination from the Scottish National Party, with Angus MacNeil emerging as the sole candidate following speculation that the role could be filled by previous SNP energy spokesman Mike Weir, current energy spokesman Callum McCaig or even former party leader Alex Salmond.
Voting for the committee chairs will take place on Wednesday 17 June, closing at 5pm.
Please login or Register to leave a comment.