29 January 2020

MP refuses to vote in select committee elections because she does not understand rules

Lesson number one for new MPs: easy on the tweeting.

Fusty old parliament. Out of touch. Elitist. Reeking of privilege. Well, Zarah Sultana delivered the first bloody blow of the revolution. She threw some flyers in a bin.

The 26-year old MP for Coventry South has bravely refused to vote Tories onto select committees.

Tories trying to get me to vote for them onto select committees…

Lol that’s not me pic.twitter.com/hl7eSWaUVH

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— Zarah Sultana MP (@zarahsultana) January 29, 2020

“You are a star,” said one suitably impressed Twitter follower. “Solidarity, comrade,” said another.

Only problem is them’s not the rules. The chairs for select committees are divvied up between the parties based on their representation in parliament. The Tories won the election, the Tories have more MPs, the Tories have more select committee chairs. It’s not a question of voting Tories “onto” committees, but more a question of which Tory do you want?

But screw it. Is there any point in select committees? Is there any point in tactically voting divisive Tories onto the chairs of select committees? Is there any point in doing the job of being an MP? “Lol,” said Sultana. “That’s not me.”