Former schools minister Robin Walker has been elected as chair of the cross-party Commons Education Select Committee in a ballot of MPs today.
Mr Walker served in the Department for Education for around 10 months, from September last year, but was among several ministers who tendered their resignation from Boris Johnson’s government in the summer.
The committee, which plays a key role in scrutinising government education policy, was seeking a new chair after Mr Walker’s predecessor, Robert Halfon, was appointed as DfE skills minister last month.
Mr Walker received 217 out of 451 votes cast in the committee election.
Three other Conservative MPs stood for the role: Caroline Ansell, a former teacher who currently sits on the committee and who received the second highest number of votes (108); David Simmonds (70 votes); and former schools minister and ex-teacher Jonathan Gullis (56 votes).
Mr Walker, who previously served as a parliamentary private secretary to former education secretary Nicky Morgan, was educated at the independent St Paul’s School, in London, and studied ancient and modern history at Balliol College, Oxford.
He had a career in business before his election as the MP for Worcester in 2010.
DfE policy under scrutiny
He is a former vice-chairman of the f40 campaign, which is seeking fairer funding for schools, mainly in more rural areas.
Earlier this year, while serving as schools minister, Mr Walker defended primary school Sats going ahead, while acknowledging that pupils had “missed a critical period of learning” because of the Covid pandemic.
Responding to the election result today, he said: ”Nothing can be more important than education, which unlocks opportunity.
“The work of the education select committee is more relevant and important than ever.
“I am looking forward to working with the committee on issues such as childcare and the cost of living, to keep up the great work which former chair Robert Halfon started on attendance, safeguarding, skills, careers and SEN, and to hold ministers to account.
“From childcare settings, through schools to colleges, apprenticeships and universities, this committee has a huge range of institutions to look at and people to support, which are relevant in every constituency up and down the country.”
The committee is currently carrying out four different inquiries, including one on careers education, information, advice and guidance, and another on the future of post-16 qualifications.
Earlier this year it launched a major report into education catch-up and the National Tutoring Programme.
