# Backbench Business Committee

The Backbench Business Committee of the British House of Commons was created on 15 June 2010 through the adoption of a new standing order. It was created soon after 2010 general election, but had been proposed during the previous Parliament by the Wright Committee on Reform of the House of Commons in its report of 12 November 2009.

## Remit

The committee is responsible for determining, on behalf of backbench members (i.e., members who are not Ministers of the Crown or shadow ministers), the business before the House for approximately one day each week. This includes Thursday sittings in the parallel debating chamber, known as Westminster Hall, which are considered half days. The amendments to Standing Order 14 give the committee 35 days per session, of which at least 27 are taken on the floor of the House (as opposed to Westminster Hall). The one-and-one-half-hour Topical Debates, which count as quarter days, are also determined by the committee.

## Membership

As set out by Standing Order 152, the committee consists of a chair and seven other members to be elected at the beginning of each session. The chair, who must be an opposition member, is elected under the alternative vote method in a manner similar to other select committee chairs. The other members are selected under the single transferable vote method with the stipulation that the eight members (including the chair) reflect a distribution of the seats made by the Speaker, which is to reflect the party composition of the House of Commons. In addition, at least two men and two women must be elected. Ministers of the Crown, Parliamentary Private Secretaries, and 'principal opposition frontbench spokespersons' are prohibited from standing for election as chair or as a member.
| Member | Party | Constituency |
| Bob Blackman MP (chair) | Conservative | Harrow East |
| Jess Brown-Fuller MP | Liberal Democrats | Chichester |
| Jonathan Davies MP | Labour | Mid Derbyshire |
| Mary Glindon MP | Labour | Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend |
| Alison Hume MP | Labour | Scarborough and Whitby |
| Will Stone MP | Labour | Swindon North |
| Martin Vickers MP | Conservative | Brigg and Immingham |
| Chris Vince MP | Labour | Harlow |

### Changes since 2024

| Date | Outgoing Member & Party | Outgoing Member & Party | Constituency | → | New Member & Party | New Member & Party | Constituency | Source |
| 9 December 2024 | | Wendy Morton MP (Conservative) | Aldridge-Brownhills | → | | Martin Vickers MP (Conservative) | Brigg and Immingham | Hansard |
| 3 March 2025 | | Jack Abbott MP (Labour) | Mid Derbyshire | → | | Jonathan Davies MP (Labour) | Mid Derbyshire | Hansard |

### 2020–2024 Parliament

| Member | Party | Constituency |
| Ian Mearns MP (chair) | Labour | Gateshead |
| Bob Blackman MP | Conservative | Harrow East |
| Kevin Foster MP | Conservative | Torbay |
| Patricia Gibson MP | SNP | North Ayrshire and Arran |
| Chris Green MP | Conservative | Bolton West |
| Nigel Mills MP | Conservative | Amber Valley |
| Wendy Morton MP | Conservative | Aldridge-Brownhills |
| Kate Osborne MP | Labour | Jarrow |

### Changes from 2021–2024

| Date | Outgoing Member & Party | Constituency | → | New Member & Party | New Member & Party | Constituency | Source |
| 2 November 2021 | Gareth Bacon MP (Conservative) | Orpington | → | | Duncan Baker MP (Conservative) | North Norfolk | Hansard |
| 15 March 2022 | Duncan Baker MP (Conservative) | North Norfolk | → | | Chris Green MP (Conservative) | Bolton West | Hansard |
| 15 March 2022 | David Johnston MP (Conservative) | Wantage | → | | Jerome Mayhew MP (Conservative) | Broadland | Hansard |
| 3 May 2022 | Imran Ahmad Khan MP (Independent) | Wakefield | → | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Resignation of member from Parliament |
| 21 November 2022 | Jerome Mayhew MP (Conservative) | Broadland | → | | Wendy Morton MP (Conservative) | Aldridge-Brownhills | Hansard |

## 2020 election

The chair was elected on 27 January 2020, with members being announced on 2 March 2020.
| Member | Party | Constituency |
| Ian Mearns MP (chair) | Labour | Gateshead |
| Nickie Aiken MP | Conservative | Cities of London and Westminster |
| Bob Blackman MP | Conservative | Harrow East |
| Fiona Bruce MP | Conservative | Congleton |
| Patricia Gibson MP | SNP | North Ayrshire and Arran |
| Nigel Mills MP | Conservative | Amber Valley |
| Lia Nici MP | Conservative | Great Grimsby |
| Claudia Webbe MP | Labour | Leicester East |

### Changes 2020-2021

| Date | Outgoing Member & Party | Constituency | → | New Member & Party | Constituency | Source |
| 20 July 2020 | Nickie Aiken MP (Conservative) | Cities of London and Westminster | → | Gareth Bacon MP (Conservative) | Orpington | Hansard |
| 18 January 2021 | Fiona Bruce MP (Conservative) | Congleton | → | Imran Ahmad Khan MP (Conservative) | Wakefield | Hansard |
| 1 March 2021 | Lia Nici MP (Conservative) | Great Grimsby | → | David Johnston MP (Conservative) | Wantage | Hansard |

## 2017 election

The chair was elected on 12 July 2017, with members being announced on 11 September 2017.
| Member | Party | Constituency |
| Ian Mearns MP (chair) | Labour | Gateshead |
| Bob Blackman MP | Conservative | Harrow East |
| Rehman Chishti MP | Conservative | Gillingham and Rainham |
| Patricia Gibson MP | SNP | North Ayrshire and Arran |
| Jess Phillips MP | Labour | Birmingham Yardley |
| Alex Sobel MP | Labour | Leeds North West |
| William Wragg MP | Conservative | Hazel Grove |

### Changes 2017-2019

| Date | Outgoing Member & Party | Outgoing Member & Party | Constituency | → | New Member & Party | Constituency | Source |
| 16 October 2017 | New seat | New seat | New seat | → | Robert Courts MP (Conservative) | Witney | Hansard |
| 23 October 2017 | | Rehman Chishti MP (Conservative) | Gillingham and Rainham | → | Chris Davies MP (Conservative) | Brecon and Radnorshire | Hansard |
| 19 March 2018 | | Robert Courts MP (Conservative) | Witney | → | Nigel Mills MP (Conservative) | Amber Valley | Hansard |
| 23 April 2018 | | Chris Davies MP (Conservative) | Brecon and Radnorshire | → | Colin Clark MP (Conservative) | Gordon | Hansard |

## 2016 election

The chair was elected on 24 May 2016, with members being announced on 13 June 2016.
| Member | Party | Constituency |
| Ian Mearns MP (chair) | Labour | Gateshead |
| Bob Blackman MP | Conservative | Harrow East |
| Kevin Foster MP | Conservative | Torbay |
| Wendy Morton MP | Conservative | Aldridge-Brownhills |
| Gavin Newlands MP | SNP | Paisley and Renfrewshire North |
| David Nuttall MP | Conservative | Bury North |
| Jess Phillips MP | Labour | Birmingham Yardley |
| William Wragg MP | Conservative | Hazel Grove |

### Changes 2016-2017

| Date | Outgoing Member & Party | Outgoing Member & Party | Constituency | → | New Member & Party | New Member & Party | Constituency | Source |
| 31 October 2016 | | Wendy Morton MP (Conservative) | Aldridge-Brownhills | → | | Dr Dan Poulter MP (Conservative) | Central Suffolk and North Ipswich | Hansard |
| 30 January 2017 | | Dr Dan Poulter MP (Conservative) | Central Suffolk and North Ipswich | → | | Robert Courts MP (Conservative) | Witney | Hansard |

## 2015 election

The chair was elected on 18 June 2015, with members being announced on 20 July 2015.
| Member | Party | Constituency |
| Ian Mearns MP (chair) | Labour | Gateshead |
| Bob Blackman MP | Conservative | Harrow East |
| Peter Bone MP | Conservative | Wellingborough |
| Philip Hollobone MP | Conservative | Kettering |
| Gavin Newlands MP | SNP | Paisley and Renfrewshire North |
| David Nuttall MP | Conservative | Bury North |
| Jess Phillips MP | Labour | Birmingham Yardley |

### Changes 2015-2016

| Date | Outgoing Member & Party | Outgoing Member & Party | Constituency | → | New Member & Party | New Member & Party | Constituency | Source |
| 14 December 2015 | New seat | New seat | New seat | → | | Kevin Foster MP (Conservative) | Torbay | Hansard |

## 2014 election

The chair was elected on 11 June 2014, with members being elected on 30 June 2014.
| Member | Party | Constituency |
| Natascha Engel MP (chair) | Labour | North East Derbyshire |
| David Amess MP | Conservative | Southend West |
| David Anderson MP | Labour | Blaydon |
| Bob Blackman MP | Conservative | Harrow East |
| Oliver Colvile MP | Conservative | Plymouth Sutton and Devonport |
| John Hemming MP | Liberal Democrats | Birmingham Yardley |
| Ian Mearns MP | Labour | Gateshead |

## 2013 election

The chair was elected on 15 May 2013, with members being elected on 10 June 2013.
| Member | Party | Constituency |
| Natascha Engel MP (chair) | Labour | North East Derbyshire |
| David Amess MP | Conservative | Southend West |
| David Anderson MP | Labour | Blaydon |
| Bob Blackman MP | Conservative | Harrow East |
| Jane Ellison MP | Conservative | Battersea |
| John Hemming MP | Liberal Democrats | Birmingham Yardley |
| Marcus Jones MP | Conservative | Nuneaton |
| Ian Mearns MP | Labour | Gateshead |

### Changes 2013-2014

| Date | Outgoing Member & Party | Constituency | → | New Member & Party | Constituency | Source |
| 4 November 2013 | Jane Ellison MP (Conservative) | Battersea | → | Mark Spencer MP (Conservative) | Sherwood | Hansard |
| 4 November 2013 | Marcus Jones MP (Conservative) | Nuneaton | → | Oliver Colvile MP (Conservative) | Plymouth Sutton and Devonport | Hansard |
| 4 November 2013 | Mark Spencer MP (Conservative) | Sherwood | → | Alec Shelbrooke MP (Conservative) | Elmet and Rothwell | Hansard |

## 2012 election

The chair was elected on 16 May 2012, with members being elected on 12 June 2012.
| Member | Party | Constituency |
| Natascha Engel MP (chair) | Labour | North East Derbyshire |
| David Amess MP | Conservative | Southend West |
| David Anderson MP | Labour | Blaydon |
| Bob Blackman MP | Conservative | Harrow East |
| Jane Ellison MP | Conservative | Battersea |
| John Hemming MP | Liberal Democrats | Birmingham Yardley |
| Marcus Jones MP | Conservative | Nuneaton |
| Ian Mearns MP | Labour | Gateshead |

## 2010 election

The chair was elected on 22 June 2010, with members being elected on 29 June 2010.
| Member | Party | Constituency |
| Natascha Engel MP (chair) | Labour | North East Derbyshire |
| David Anderson MP | Labour | Blaydon |
| Peter Bone MP | Conservative | Wellingborough |
| Philip Davies MP | Conservative | Shipley |
| Jane Ellison MP | Conservative | Battersea |
| John Hemming MP | Liberal Democrats | Birmingham Yardley |
| Philip Hollobone MP | Conservative | Kettering |
| Alison Seabeck MP | Labour | Plymouth Moor View |

### By-elections 2010-2012

| Date of resignation | Outgoing Member & Party | Outgoing Member & Party | Constituency | Source | Date of by-election | New Member & Party | New Member & Party | Constituency | Source |
| 3 November 2010 | | David Anderson MP (Labour) | Blaydon | Hansard | 8 November 2010 | | Ian Mearns MP (Labour) | Gateshead | Hansard |
| 3 November 2010 | | Alison Seabeck MP (Labour) | Plymouth Moor View | Hansard | 8 November 2010 | | George Mudie MP (Labour) | Leeds East | Hansard |

## Review

When it created the committee, the House resolved to review the committee's work at the beginning of the 2011/12 session. The Leader of the House of Commons, Sir George Young, stated that the purpose of the review was to help reach the next phase of implementing the Wright Committee report: setting up a committee to manage substantially all House business.