The Lib Dems have today announced the names of the MPs and members of the House of Lords who will act as Co-Chairs of the party’s new backbench policy committees.
These committees are intended to ensure distinctive Lib Dem policy-making continues while the party serves in the Coalition Government, promoting effective linkages between those Lib Dems serving ion government, their colleagues in the Parliamentary Party, and the party’s own democratic policy-making bodies.
The full list is set out below:
Committee:Work & Pensions
Commons Co-Chair: Jenny Willott
Lords Co-Chair(s): TBC
Education, Families & Young People
Dan Rogerson
Baroness Walmsley
Constitutional & Political Reform (including Cabinet & House Business)
Mark Williams
Lord Tyler CBE DL
Rt Hon Lord Maclennan of Rogart (Cabinet Office)
Culture, Media & Sport
Don Foster
Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury
Energy & Climate Change & Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Andrew George
Lord Teverson (DECC)
Lord Greaves (DEFRA)
Transport
Martin Horwood
Lord Bradshaw
Communities & Local Government
Simon Hughes
Lord Tope CBE
International Affairs (FCO, Defence & DfID)
Tim Farron
Baroness Falkner (FCO)
Lord Lee of Trafford (MoD)
Lord Chidgey (DFID)
Health & Social Care
John Pugh
Lord Alderdice
Home Affairs, Justice & Equalities
Tom Brake
Baroness Hamwee (Home Office)
Lord Thomas of Gresford OBE QC (MoJ)
Business, Innovation & Science
Lorely Burt
Lord Razzall CBE
Treasury
Stephen Williams
Lord Newby OBE
Wales
Roger Williams
Lord Livsey of Talgarth CBE DL
Scotland
John Thurso
Rt Hon Lord Maclennan of Rogart
Northern Ireland
TBC
Lord Smith of Clifton
And in the Whips Office:
Liberal Democrat Chief Whip:
Alistair Carmichael
Rt Hon Lord Shutt of Greetland, OBE
Liberal Democrat Deputy Chief Whip
Mark Hunter
Norman Lamb
Lord Addington
Liberal Democrat Whip
Robert Smith
Stephen Gilbert
Tessa Munt
Lord Lee of Trafford
Baroness Garden of Frognal
Lord Roberts of Llandudno
Baroness Maddock
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4 Comments
I see John Alderdice is in Health & Social Care. One could point out, that if the government wanted to make a point at some future time, they could put him in the Northern Ireland Office, meaning all the three offices for the devolved adminstrations would have one of their own natives. That would be the first time since when? Ever? A government genuinely of all four nations of the Kingdom. One of the benefits of having the Liberal Democrats in government…
“promoting effective linkages between those Lib Dems serving in government, their colleagues in the Parliamentary Party, and the party’s own democratic policy-making bodies.”
Have they not heard of email. These committees are just a sop to the backbenchers who haven’t got government posts. More committees ensuring that our MPs spend even more time contemplating navels instead of time in their constituencies.
We already have a policy making process in this party, we don’t need another level of bureaucracy. Like it or not (and I don’t) we are in government with the Tories not in opposition – Our MPs need to get used to it, i’m not sure that they’ve quite adjusted yet.
I notice that although our Deputy Chief Whips in the Commons are both members of the Government, our Deputy Chief Whip in the Lords (Lord Addington) appears not to be, even in an unpaid capacity. Since our Parliamentary Party in the Lords is more numerous than that in the Commons, is it not a bit unfair to Lord Addington that he has to perform his duties on the government’s behalf but without the status of belonging to the Government ?
Europe? To coalesce with/control Bill Cash?