# Defence Select Committee

The Defence Select Committee is one of the Select Committees of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, having been established in 1979. It examines the expenditure, administration, and policy of the Ministry of Defence and its associated public bodies, including the British Armed Forces. The Committee's remit does not generally review Defence Intelligence which instead falls under the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament.

## Membership

Members are as follows:
| Member | Party | Constituency |
| Tan Dhesi MP (chair) | Labour | Slough |
| Calvin Bailey MP | Labour | Leyton and Wanstead |
| Alex Baker MP | Labour | Aldershot |
| Lincoln Jopp MP | Conservative | Spelthorne |
| Emma Lewell-Buck MP | Labour | South Shields |
| Mike Martin MP | Lib Dems | Tunbridge Wells |
| Jesse Norman MP | Conservative | Hereford and South Herefordshire |
| Ian Roome MP | Lib Dems | North Devon |
| Michelle Scrogham MP | Labour | Barrow and Furness |
| Fred Thomas MP | Labour | Plymouth Moor View |
| Derek Twigg MP | Labour | Widnes and Halewood |

## 2019-2024 Parliament

The chair was elected on 29 January 2020, with the members of the committee being announced on 2 March 2020.
| Member | Party | Constituency |
| Tobias Ellwood (chair) | Conservative | Bournemouth East |
| Stuart Anderson | Conservative | Wolverhampton South West |
| Sarah Atherton | Conservative | Wrexham |
| Wayne David | Labour | Caerphilly |
| Tan Dhesi | Labour | Slough |
| Martin Docherty-Hughes | Scottish National Party | West Dunbartonshire |
| Richard Drax | Conservative | South Dorset |
| Mark Francois | Conservative | Rayleigh and Wickford |
| Emma Lewell-Buck | Labour | South Shields |
| Gavin Robinson | Democratic Unionist Party | Belfast East |
| John Spellar | Labour | Warley |

### Changes 2019-2024

| Date | Outgoing Member & Party | Outgoing Member & Party | Constituency | → | New Member & Party | New Member & Party | Constituency | Source |
| 11 May 2020 | | Wayne David MP (Labour) | Caerphilly | → | | Kevan Jones MP (Labour) | North Durham | Hansard |
| 11 May 2020 | | Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi MP (Labour) | Slough | → | | Derek Twigg MP (Labour) | Halton | Hansard |
| 5 January 2022 | | Martin Docherty-Hughes MP (SNP) | West Dunbartonshire | → | | Dave Doogan MP (SNP) | Angus | Hansard |
| 25 October 2022 | | Stuart Anderson MP (Conservative) | Wolverhampton South West | → | | Andrew Bowie MP (Conservative) | West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine | Hansard |
| 25 October 2022 | | Sarah Atherton MP (Conservative) | Wrexham | → | | Robert Courts MP (Conservative) | Witney | Hansard |
| 8 November 2022 | | Andrew Bowie MP (Conservative) | West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine | → | | Sarah Atherton MP (Conservative) | Wrexham | Hansard |
| 12 September 2023 | | Dave Doogan MP (SNP) | Angus | → | | Martin Docherty-Hughes MP (SNP) | West Dunbartonshire | Hansard |
| 14 September 2023 | | Tobias Ellwood MP (chair, Conservative) | Bournemouth East | → | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Hansard |
| 25 October 2023 | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | → | | Robert Courts MP (chair, Conservative) | Witney | Hansard |
| 25 October 2023 | | Robert Courts MP (Conservative) | Witney | → | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | | Hansard |
| 11 December 2023 | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | → | | Jesse Norman MP (Conservative) | Hereford and South Herefordshire | Hansard |
| 12 December 2023 | | Robert Courts MP (chair, Conservative) | Witney | → | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Hansard |
| 17 January 2024 | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | → | | Jeremy Quin MP (chair, Conservative) | Horsham | Hansard |

## 2017–2019 Parliament

The chair was elected on 12 July 2017, with the members of the committee being announced on 11 September 2017.
| Member | Party | Constituency |
| Julian Lewis (chair) | Conservative | New Forest East |
| Leo Docherty | Conservative | Aldershot |
| Martin Docherty-Hughes | Scottish National Party | West Dunbartonshire |
| Mark Francois | Conservative | Rayleigh and Wickford |
| Graham Jones | Labour | Hyndburn |
| Johnny Mercer | Conservative | Plymouth Moor View |
| Madeleine Moon | Labour | Bridgend |
| Gavin Robinson | Democratic Unionist Party | Belfast East |
| Ruth Smeeth | Labour | Stoke-on-Trent North |
| John Spellar | Labour | Warley |
| Phil Wilson | Labour | Sedgefield |

## 2015–2017 Parliament

The chair was elected on 18 June 2015, with members being announced on 6 July 2015.
| Member | Party | Constituency |
| Julian Lewis (chair) | Conservative | New Forest East |
| Richard Benyon | Conservative | Newbury |
| Douglas Chapman | Scottish National Party | Dunfermline and West Fife |
| James Gray | Conservative | North Wiltshire |
| Johnny Mercer | Conservative | Plymouth Moor View |
| Madeleine Moon | Labour | Bridgend |
| Conor McGinn | Labour | St Helens North |
| Jim Shannon | Democratic Unionist Party | Strangford |
| Ruth Smeeth | Labour | Stoke-on-Trent North |
| John Spellar | Labour | Warley |
| Bob Stewart | Conservative | Beckenham |

### Changes 2015–2017

| Date | Outgoing Member & Party | Constituency | → | New Member & Party | Constituency | Source |
| 26 October 2015 | Conor McGinn MP (Labour) | St Helens North | → | Phil Wilson MP (Labour) | Sedgefield | Hansard |
| 31 October 2016 | Richard Benyon MP (Conservative) | Newbury | → | Jack Lopresti MP (Conservative) | Filton and Bradley Stoke | Hansard |
| 5 December 2016 | Jim Shannon MP (DUP) | Strangford | → | Gavin Robinson MP (DUP) | Belfast East | Hansard |

## 2010–2015 Parliament

The chair was elected on 10 June 2010, with members being announced on 12 July 2010.
| Member | Party | Constituency |
| James Arbuthnot (chair) | Conservative | North East Hampshire |
| Julian Brazier | Conservative | Canterbury |
| Jeffrey Donaldson | Democratic Unionist Party | Lagan Valley |
| John Glen | Conservative | Salisbury |
| David Hamilton | Labour | Midlothian |
| Mike Hancock | Liberal Democrats | Portsmouth South |
| Adam Holloway | Conservative | Gravesham |
| Madeleine Moon | Labour | Bridgend |
| Alison Seabeck | Labour | Plymouth Moor View |
| Bob Stewart | Conservative | Beckenham |
| Gisela Stuart | Labour | Birmingham Edgbaston |
| John Woodcock | Labour and Co-op | Barrow and Furness |

### Changes 2010–2015

| Date | Outgoing Member & Party | Outgoing Member & Party | Constituency | → | New Member & Party | New Member & Party | Constituency | Source |
| 2 November 2010 | | Adam Holloway MP (Conservative) | Gravesham | → | | Penny Mordaunt MP (Conservative) | Portsmouth North | Hansard |
| 2 November 2010 | | David Hamilton MP (Labour) | Midlothian | → | | Thomas Docherty MP (Labour) | Dunfermline and West Fife | Hansard |
| 2 November 2010 | | Alison Seabeck MP (Labour) | Plymouth Moor View | → | | Dai Havard MP (Labour) | Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney | Hansard |
| 2 November 2010 | | John Woodcock MP (Labour and Co-op) | Barrow and Furness | → | | Sandra Osborne MP (Labour) | Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock | Hansard |
| 24 October 2011 | | Mike Hancock MP (Liberal Democrats) | Portsmouth South | → | | Bob Russell MP (Liberal Democrats) | Colchester | Hansard |
| 5 November 2012 | | John Glen MP (Conservative) | Salisbury | → | | Adam Holloway MP (Conservative) | Gravesham | Hansard |
| 10 June 2013 | | Sandra Osborne MP (Labour) | Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock | → | | Derek Twigg MP (Labour) | Halton | Hansard |
| 4 November 2013 | | Penny Mordaunt MP (Conservative) | Portsmouth North | → | | James Gray MP (Conservative) | North Wiltshire | Hansard |
| 25 November 2013 | | Thomas Docherty MP (Labour) | Dunfermline and West Fife | → | | John Woodcock MP (Labour and Co-op) | Barrow and Furness | Hansard |
| 28 April 2014 | | James Arbuthnot MP (chair, Conservative) | North East Hampshire | → | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Hansard |
| 14 May 2014 | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | → | | Rory Stewart MP (chair, Conservative) | Penrith and The Border | Hansard |
| 3 November 2014 | | Julian Brazier MP (Conservative) | Canterbury | → | | Richard Benyon MP (Conservative) | Newbury | Hansard |
| 3 November 2014 | | Adam Holloway MP (Conservative) | Gravesham | → | | Julian Lewis MP (Conservative) | New Forest East | Hansard |

## Chair of the Defence Select Committee

| Chair | Party | Constituency | First elected | Method |
| Michael Mates | Conservative | East Hampshire | 1987 | Elected by the Select Committee |
| Michael Colvin | Conservative | Romsey and Waterside | 1995 | Elected by the Select Committee |
| Bruce George | Labour | Walsall South | 16 July 1997 | Elected by the Select Committee |
| James Arbuthnot | Conservative | North East Hampshire | 13 July 2005 | Elected by the Select Committee (and the House of Commons in 2010) |
| Rory Stewart | Conservative | Penrith and The Border | 14 May 2014 | Elected by the House of Commons |
| Julian Lewis | Conservative | New Forest East | 17 June 2015 | Elected by the House of Commons |
| Tobias Ellwood | Conservative | Bournemouth East | 29 January 2020 | Elected by the House of Commons |
| Tobias Ellwood | Independent | Bournemouth East | 29 January 2020 | Elected by the House of Commons |
| Tobias Ellwood | Conservative | Bournemouth East | 29 January 2020 | Elected by the House of Commons |
| Robert Courts | Conservative | Witney | 25 October 2023 | Elected by the House of Commons |
| Jeremy Quin | Conservative | Horsham | 17 January 2024 | Elected by the House of Commons |

### Election results

From June 2010 chairs of select committees have been directly elected by a secret ballot of the whole House of Commons using the alternative vote system. Candidates with the fewest votes are eliminated and their votes redistributed until one remaining candidate has more than half of valid votes. Elections are held at the beginning of a parliament or in the event of a vacancy.
17 January 2024 :
| Candidate | Candidate | 1st round | 1st round |
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Jeremy Quin | 371 | 78.6 |
| | Rehman Chishti | 101 | 21.4 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 472 |
25 October 2023 :
| Candidate | Candidate | 1st round | 1st round |
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Robert Courts | 249 | 57.9 |
| | Sarah Atherton | 142 | 33.0 |
| | Mark Francois | 39 | 9.1 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 430 |
29 January 2020 :
| Candidate | Candidate | 1st round | 1st round | 2nd round | 2nd round | 3rd round | 3rd round | 4th round | 4th round |
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % |
| | Tobias Ellwood | 243 | 43.2 | 256 | 46.1 | 271 | 49.7 | 296 | 56.7 |
| | Sir Bernard Jenkin | 173 | 30.8 | 183 | 33.0 | 193 | 35.4 | 226 | 43.3 |
| | Robert Courts | 62 | 11.0 | 68 | 12.3 | 81 | 14.9 | Eliminated | Eliminated |
| | Adam Holloway | 45 | 8.0 | 48 | 8.6 | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated |
| | James Gray | 39 | 6.9 | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated |
| Not redistributed | Not redistributed | | | 7 | 1.2 | 17 | 3.0 | 40 | 7.1 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 562 | | 555 | | 545 | | 522 | |
12 July 2017 :
| Candidate | Candidate | 1st round | 1st round |
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Julian Lewis | 305 | 53.5 |
| | Johnny Mercer | 265 | 46.5 |
| Not redistributed | Not redistributed | | |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 570 | |
17 June 2015 :
| Candidate | Candidate | 1st round | 1st round | 2nd round | 2nd round |
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % | Votes | % |
| | Julian Lewis | 260 | 44.1 | 314 | 56.5 |
| | Richard Benyon | 208 | 35.3 | 242 | 43.5 |
| | Bob Stewart | 121 | 20.5 | Eliminated | Eliminated |
| Not redistributed | Not redistributed | | | 33 | 5.6 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 589 | | 556 | |
14 May 2014 :
| Candidate | Candidate | 1st round | 1st round | 2nd round | 2nd round | 3rd round | 3rd round | 4th round | 4th round | 5th round | 5th round | 6th round | 6th round | 7th round | 7th round |
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % |
| | Rory Stewart | 113 | 23.6 | 115 | 24.1 | 122 | 25.7 | 139 | 29.3 | 149 | 31.9 | 179 | 39.3 | 226 | 51.6 |
| | Julian Lewis | 124 | 25.9 | 128 | 26.8 | 131 | 27.6 | 138 | 29.1 | 156 | 33.4 | 165 | 36.2 | 212 | 48.4 |
| | Julian Brazier | 68 | 14.2 | 71 | 14.9 | 71 | 14.9 | 77 | 16.2 | 90 | 19.3 | 112 | 24.6 | Eliminated | Eliminated |
| | Keith Simpson | 48 | 10.0 | 48 | 10.1 | 51 | 10.7 | 61 | 12.8 | 72 | 15.4 | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated |
| | Bob Stewart | 52 | 10.9 | 54 | 11.3 | 56 | 11.8 | 60 | 12.6 | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated |
| | Crispin Blunt | 44 | 9.2 | 44 | 9.2 | 44 | 9.3 | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated |
| | Tobias Ellwood | 17 | 3.5 | 17 | 3.6 | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated |
| | James Gray | 13 | 2.7 | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated |
| Not redistributed | Not redistributed | | | 2 | 0.4 | 4 | 0.8 | 4 | 0.8 | 12 | 2.5 | 23 | 4.8 | 41 | 8.6 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 479 | | 477 | | 475 | | 475 | | 467 | | 456 | | 438 | |
9 June 2010 :
| Candidate | Candidate | 1st round | 1st round | 2nd round | 2nd round | 3rd round | 3rd round |
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % |
| | James Arbuthnot | 210 | 36.6 | 236 | 42.4 | 273 | 52.7 |
| | Patrick Mercer | 176 | 30.7 | 189 | 33.9 | 245 | 47.3 |
| | Julian Lewis | 115 | 20.1 | 132 | 23.7 | Eliminated | Eliminated |
| | Douglas Carswell | 72 | 12.6 | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated |
| Not redistributed | Not redistributed | | | 16 | 2.8 | 55 | 9.6 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 573 | | 557 | | 518 | |