LABOUR MP Emily Thornberry has been elected to an influential Westminster foreign affairs role despite previously facing criticism for her comments on Israel’s siege of Gaza.
The former shadow cabinet minister was elected the new Foreign Affairs Committee chairwoman on Wednesday, finishing ahead of Labour colleague Dan Carden.
Thornberry served as shadow attorney general until the general election was called, but Prime Minister Keir Starmer opted to ensure Richard Hermer received a peerage to enable him to become the Government’s chief legal adviser.
Thornberry faced criticism after appearing to defend Starmer after the Labour leader appeared to suggest that Israel has “the right” to withhold energy and water from Gaza at the start of Israel's siege last year.
A number of Labour councillors resigned over what they perceived as Starmer’s “horrifying” comments and that he was “endorsing a war crime”.
In the aftermath, Thornberry repeatedly refused to answer when asked if the “cutting off [of] food, water and electricity is within international law” on the BBC’s Newsnight program.
“I think Israel has an absolute right to defend itself against terrorism,” she said instead – to which the BBC interviewer continued to press for a direct answer, to no avail.
Thornberry said she was “delighted” to take on the role and was grateful for the “support of my colleagues across the whole House”.
She added: “In an increasingly challenging and volatile world, with Britain’s interest in peace, prosperity and security under threat, scrutiny of foreign policy is more important than ever. We also cannot waver in our commitment to upholding and advocating for human rights and international law.
“As Foreign Affairs Committee chair, I will aim to drive consensus by working cross-party, to ensure that the Foreign Office is held to account.”
Other Labour MPs to be elected included:
- Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow West) for the Scottish Affairs Committee
- Liam Byrne (Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North) for the Business and Trade Committee
- Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Slough) for the Defence Committee
- Helen Hayes (Dulwich and West Norwood) for the Education Committee
- Bill Esterson (Sefton Central) for the Energy, Security and Net-Zero Committee
- Toby Perkins (Chesterfield) for the Environmental Audit Committee
- Florence Eshalomi (Vauxhall and Camberwell Green) for the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
- Sarah Champion (Rotherham) for the International Development Committee
- Andy Slaughter (Hammersmith and Chiswick) for the Justice Committee
- Chi Onwurah (Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West) for the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee
- Ruth Cadbury (Brentford and Isleworth) for the Transport Committee
- Sarah Owen (Luton North) for the Women and Equalities Committee
- Debbie Abrahams (Oldham East and Saddleworth) for the Work and Pensions Committee
- Cat Smith (Lancaster and Wyre) for the Procedure Committee
Conservative former minister Dame Karen Bradley will chair the Home Affairs Committee while Alberto Costa, Tory MP for South Leicestershire, will chair the Standards Committee.
Tory Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (North Cotswolds) will chair the Public Accounts Committee while party colleague Simon Hoare, a former minister, will chair the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee.
Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle said a total of 577 MPs voted in the secret ballot for the select committee elections.
