The Committee on the Future Relationship with the European Union, commonly known as the Brexit Select Committee and formerly the Exiting the European Union Select Committee, was a select committee of the British House of Commons that examines matters relating to the United Kingdom's relationship with the European Union after Brexit. Until the department's closure on 31 January 2020, the committee scrutinised the work of the Department for Exiting the European Union, which had been launched by Prime Minister Theresa May in July 2016 following the 'Leave' vote in the UK's referendum on membership of the European Union. It was dissolved on 16 January 2021 in line with the temporary standing order which formed the committee.
History In November 2017 Parliament voted that a humble address be made to the monarch to direct the government to release its impact assessments regarding the effects of Brexit on the national economy.
The motion, put forward by the opposition, requested:
That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, That she will be graciously pleased to give directions that the list of sectors analysed under the instruction of Her Majesty's Ministers, and referred to in the Answer of 26 June 2017 to Question 239, be laid before this House and that the impact assessments arising from those analyses be provided to the Committee on Exiting the European Union.
Following Exit Day on 31 January 2020 and the closure of the Department for Exiting the European Union, on 2 March the Exiting the European Union Committee was renamed the Committee on the Future Relationship with the European Union and its responsibilities altered to focus on the UK's relations with the EU after Brexit.
The committee was dissolved on 16 January 2021 as the temporary standing order lapsed. Chairmen Hilary Benn wrote to Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg to extend the committee's lifespan in order to evaluate the impact of the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement on the UK. This request was denied, with Rees-Mogg saying other select committees could perform this function.
Chairs Committee chairs include those listed below.https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/366/committee-on-the-future-relationship-with-the-european-union/membership/former/
NameStartEndPartyConstituencyLabourLeeds Central
Membership On 19 October 2016, Hilary Benn was elected as the first chairman of the committee. Labour MPs voted for their remaining four representatives from a shortlist on 25 October. The Conservatives selected their representatives on 26 October. The remaining members were published in the House of Commons Order Paper for 27 October, except the SDLP's choice. After the 2017 general election another committee election was held Hilary Benn being re-elected as chair and members announced on 8 September 2017 due to be approved by the House of Commons on 11 September 2017. Of the committee 13 backed the remain campaign and 7 backed the leave campaign.
Hilary Benn was again re-elected chairman of the committee on 30 January 2020. With the renaming of the committee on 2 March, a new slate of members was agreed for the Parliament that had begun in December 2019, consisting of 12 Conservative, 7 Labour, and two SNP members.
Membership 2016–17 The chair was elected on 19 October 2016, with members being announced on 31 October 2016.
Member Party ConstituencyEU Referendum position The Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP (Chairman) Labour Leeds CentralRemain The Rt Hon Alistair Burt MP Conservative North East BedfordshireRemain The Rt Hon Alistair Carmichael MP Liberal Democrats Orkney and ShetlandRemain Maria Caulfield Conservative LewesLeave Joanna Cherry QC MP Scottish National Edinburgh South WestRemain Jonathan Edwards MP Plaid Cymru Carmarthen East and DinefwrRemain The Rt Hon Michael Gove MP Conservative Surrey Heath Leave Peter Grant MP Scottish National GlenrothesRemain Andrea Jenkyns MP Conservative Morley and OutwoodLeave Jeremy Lefroy MP Conservative StaffordRemain The Rt Hon Peter Lilley MP Conservative Hitchin and HarpendenLeave Seema Malhotra MP Labour Feltham and HestonRemain Karl McCartney MP Conservative LincolnLeave The Rt Hon Pat McFadden MP Labour Wolverhampton South EastRemain Craig Mackinlay MP Conservative South ThanetLeave Dominic Raab MP Conservative Esher and WaltonLeave Emma Reynolds MP Labour Wolverhampton North EastRemain The Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP Labour East HamRemain The Rt Hon John Whittingdale OBE MP Conservative MaldonLeave Sammy Wilson MP Democratic Unionist East AntrimLeave
Changes 2016-2017 Date Outgoing Member& Party Constituency → New Member& Party Constituency Source 7 November 2016 New seat → Mark Durkan MP (SDLP, remain) Foyle Hansard
Membership 2017–19 The chair was elected on 12 July 2017, with the members of the committee being announced on 11 September 2017.
Member Party Constituency EU Referendum position The Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP (Chair) Labour Leeds Central Remain Peter Bone MP Conservative Wellingborough Leave Joanna Cherry QC MP Scottish National Edinburgh South West RemainSir Christopher Chope MPConservativeChristchurch Leave The Rt Hon Stephen Crabb MPConservativePreseli Pembrokeshire RemainJonathan Djanogly MPConservativeHuntingdon RemainRichard Graham MPConservativeGloucester Remain Peter Grant MP Scottish National Glenrothes RemainWera Hobhouse MPLiberal DemocratsBath Remain Andrea Jenkyns MP Conservative Morley and Outwood Leave Jeremy Lefroy MP Conservative Stafford RemainThe Hon Stephen Kinnock MPLabourAberavon Remain Seema Malhotra MP Labour Feltham and Heston Remain The Rt Hon Pat McFadden MP Labour Wolverhampton South East Remain Craig Mackinlay MP Conservative South Thanet Leave The Rt Hon Jacob Rees-Mogg MPConservativeNorth East Somerset Leave Emma Reynolds MP Labour Wolverhampton North East Remain The Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP Labour East HamRemain The Rt Hon John Whittingdale OBE MP Conservative Maldon LeaveHywel Williams MPPlaid CymruArfon Remain The Rt Hon Sammy Wilson MP Democratic Unionist East Antrim Leave
Membership 2019–2021
Member Party ConstituencyEU Referendum position The Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP (Chair) Labour Leeds Central Remain Peter Bone MP Conservative Wellingborough Leave Joanna Cherry QC MP Scottish National Edinburgh South West RemainSir Christopher Chope MPConservativeChristchurch Leave Mark Eastwood MPConservativeDewsbury LeaveFlorence Eshalomi MPLabourVauxhall RemainMark Fletcher MPConservativeBolsover LeaveSally-Ann Hart MPConservativeHastings and Rye LeaveAntony Higginbotham MPConservativeBurnley LeaveDr Rupa Huq MPLabourEaling Central and Acton RemainThe Hon Stephen Kinnock MPLabourAberavon Remain Seema Malhotra MPLabourFeltham and Heston Remain Nigel Mills MPConservativeAmber Valley LeaveMatthew Pennycook MPLabourGreenwich and Woolwich Remain Nicola Richards MPConservativeWest Bromwich East LeaveGary Sambrook MPConservativeBirmingham Northfield LeaveWes Streeting MPLabourIlford North RemainJane Stevenson MPConservativeWolverhampton North East Leave Matt Vickers MPConservativeStockton South Leave Dr Jamie Wallis MPConservativeBridgend LeaveDr Philippa Whitford MP Scottish National Central Ayrshire Remain
Committee breakdown PartyMembersConservative12Labour7Scottish National2Total21
References
External links Official Website