Its a new term for MPs after the summer recess: Reading West and Mid Berkshire MP Olivia Bailey has been nominated to chair the Women and Equalities Committee.
The role opened up when former chair Sarah Owen became a Parliamentary Under-Secretary in the Northern Ireland Office. Nominations close on Monday 7 September and the vote will be on Monday 14 September; the new chair will be from the Labour Party.
Bailey faces Preet Kaur Gill (Birmingham Edgbaston) and Anneliese Dodds (Oxford East).
She served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Equalities and Early Education from September 2025 to July 2026 under Sir Keir Starmer but lost the role when Andy Burnham came in. In that ministerial job she oversaw LGBT+ policies and worked on workplace inequality, tackling violence against women and pushing for trans-inclusive legislation to ban conversion practices.
To be valid, nominations need a signed statement from the candidate plus the original physical signatures of 15 Labour MPs.
Meanwhile, Newbury Lib Dem MP Lee Dillon says he will keep up pressure on the water industry and is holding extra autumn evening and weekend advice surgeries during the conference recess.
"From urgently rebuilding our water industry for public good to getting the answers and justice needed around PC Andrew Harper and the early release scheme, there are a number of important issues on the agenda," he says.
Niki Hinman, Local Democracy Reporter
