Helen Hayes has been elected as the next chair of the Commons Education Select Committee.
Ms Hayes is the Labour MP for Dulwich and West Norwood and has been an MP since 7 May 2015.
She most recently worked as a shadow education minister between 2021-24 and has also held the position of shadow minister in the Cabinet Office.
Ms Hayes beat Labour MPs Sharon Hodgson and Dr Marie Tidball, who were in the running for the position.
The committee scrutinises the Department for Education’s work through inquiries and hearings.
Speaking to Tes ahead of her election, Ms Hayes said that an inquiry into the current SEND system and how the government can get to grips with school standards and the attainment gap would be at the top of her list of priorities.
A government source said the former government left a “trail of devastation” across education.
“This Labour government is determined to grip the problems in SEND and restore parents’ trust that their child will get the support they need,” the source added.
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