The Foreign Affairs Select Committee is one of many select committees of the British House of Commons, which scrutinises the expenditure, administration and policy of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Chairs Committee chairs include those listed below.https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/78/foreign-affairs-committee/membership/former/

NameStartEndPartyConstituencyConservativeStroudConservativeGuildfordLabourSwansea EastLabour Co-opIlford SouthConservativeNottingham NorthConservativeReigateConservativeTonbridge and MallingConservativeRutland and MeltonpresentLabourIslington South and Finsbury

Membership Membership of the committee is as follows:

Member Party Constituency Emily Thornberry MP (Chair) Labour Islington South and Finsbury Fleur Anderson MP Labour Putney Alex Ballinger MP Labour Halesowen Aphra Brandreth MP Conservative Chester South and Eddisbury Dan Carden MP Labour Liverpool Walton Richard Foord MP Liberal Democrats Honiton and Sidmouth Alan Gemmell MP Labour Central Ayrshire Uma Kumaran MP Labour Stratford and Bow Abtisam Mohamed MP Labour Sheffield Central Edward Morello MP Liberal Democrats West Dorset John Whittingdale MP Conservative Maldon

Changes since 2024 Date Outgoing Member& Party Constituency → New Member& Party Constituency Source 16 December 2024 Claire Hazelgrove MP (Labour) Filton and Bradley Stoke→ Alex Ballinger MP (Labour) HalesowenHansard Matthew Patrick MP (Labour) Wirral West Phil Brickell MP (Labour) Bolton West 27 October 2025 Blair McDougall MP (Labour) East Renfrewshire → Fleur Anderson MP (Labour) Putney Hansard 13 April 2026 Phil Brickell MP (Labour) Bolton West → Alan Gemmell MP (Labour) Central Ayrshire Hansard

2019-2024 Parliament The chair was elected on 29 January 2020, with the members of the committee being announced on 2 March 2020. In 2022 Tom Tugendhat stepped down as the chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee after assuming a ministerial role as Minister for Security. He was replaced by Alicia Kearns.

Member Party Constituency Tom Tugendhat (Chair) Conservative Tonbridge and Malling Chris Bryant Labour Rhondda Chris Elmore Labour Ogmore Alicia Kearns ConservativeRutland and Melton Stewart McDonald Scottish National Party Glasgow SouthIan MurrayLabourEdinburgh South Andrew Rosindell Conservative Romford Bob Seely Conservative Isle of Wight Henry Smith Conservative Crawley Royston Smith Conservative Southampton Itchen Graham Stringer Labour Blackley and Broughton Changes 2019-2024 Date Outgoing Member& Party Constituency → New Member& Party Constituency Source 11 May 2020Chris Elmore MP (Labour)Ogmore →Neil Coyle MP (Labour)Bermondsey and Old Southwark HansardIan Murray MP (Labour)Edinburgh SouthClaudia Webbe MP (Labour)Leicester East5 January 2022Claudia Webbe MP (Independent)Leicester East →Liam Byrne MP (Labour)Birmingham Hodge HillHansard7 September 2022Tom Tugendhat MP (Chair, Conservative)Tonbridge and Malling → VacantHansard12 October 2022Alicia Kearns MP (Conservative)Rutland and Melton→ VacantHansard VacantAlicia Kearns MP (Chair, Conservative)Rutland and Melton29 November 2022 Vacant →Saqib Bhatti MP (Conservative)MeridenHansard9 January 2023Stewart McDonald MP (SNP)Glasgow South →Drew Hendry MP (SNP)Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and StrathspeyHansard12 September 2023Drew Hendry MP (SNP)Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey →Brendan O'Hara MP (SNP)Argyll and ButeHansard 11 November 2023Chris Bryant MP (Labour)Rhondda →Dan Carden MP (Labour)Liverpool Walton HansardFabian Hamilton MP (Labour)Birmingham Hodge HillClaudia Webbe MP (Labour)Leeds North East11 December 2023Saqib Bhatti MP (Conservative)Meriden →Ranil Jayawardena MP (Conservative)North East HampshireHansard

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 Tom Tugendhat (Chair) Conservative Tonbridge and Malling Ian Austin Labour Dudley North Chris Bryant Labour RhonddaAnn ClwydLabourCynon Valley Mike Gapes Labour Ilford South Stephen Gethins Scottish National Party North East Fife Nus Ghani Conservative Wealden Ian Murray Labour Edinburgh South Andrew Rosindell Conservative Romford Royston Smith Conservative Southampton Itchen Nadhim Zahawi Conservative Stratford-on-Avon

Changes 2017–2019 Date Outgoing Member& Party Constituency → New Member& Party Constituency Source 2 February 2018Nus Ghani MP (Conservative)Wealden →Priti Patel MP (Conservative)Witham HansardNadhim Zahawi MP (Conservative)Stratford-on-AvonBob Seely MP (Conservative)Isle of Wight 19 March 2019Ian Austin MP (Independent)Dudley North →Conor McGinn MP (Labour)St Helens North HansardMike Gapes MP (Change UK)Stratford-on-AvonCatherine West MP (Labour)Hornsey and Wood Green

2015–2017 Parliament The chair was elected on 18 June 2015, with members being announced on 8 July 2015. Member Party Constituency Crispin Blunt (Chair) Conservative Reigate John Baron Conservative Basildon and BillericayAnn ClwydLabourCynon Valley Mike Gapes Labour Ilford South Stephen Gethins Scottish National Party North East Fife Mark Hendrick Labour and Co-op Preston Adam Holloway Conservative Gravesham Daniel Kawczynski Conservative Shrewsbury and Atcham Yasmin Qureshi Labour Bolton South East Andrew Rosindell Conservative Romford Nadhim Zahawi Conservative Stratford-on-Avon

Changes 2015–2017 Date Outgoing Member& Party Constituency → New Member& Party Constituency Source 31 October 2016Yasmin Qureshi MP (Labour)Bolton South East →Ian Murray MP (Labour)Edinburgh SouthHansard

2010–2015 Parliament The chair was elected on 10 June 2010, with members being announced on 12 July 2010.

Member Party Constituency Richard Ottaway (Chair) Conservative Croydon South John Baron Conservative Basildon and Billericay Menzies Campbell Liberal Democrats North East FifeAnn ClwydLabourCynon Valley Mike Gapes Labour Ilford South Emma Reynolds Labour Wolverhampton North East Andrew Rosindell Conservative Romford Frank Roy Labour Motherwell and Wishaw John Stanley Conservative Tonbridge and Malling Rory Stewart Conservative Penrith and The Border David Watts Labour St Helens North

Changes 2010–2015 Date Outgoing Member& Party Constituency → New Member& Party Constituency Source 2 November 2010Emma Reynolds MP (Labour)Wolverhampton North East →Bob Ainsworth MP (Labour)Coventry North EastHansard 18 June 2012David Watts MP (Labour)St Helens North →Mark Hendrick MP (Labour and Co-op)PrestonHansard 20 May 2013Bob Ainsworth MP (Labour)Coventry North East →Sandra Osborne MP (Labour)Ayr, Carrick and CumnockHansard 30 June 2014Rory Stewart MP (Conservative)Penrith and The Border →Nadhim Zahawi MP (Conservative)Stratford-on-AvonHansard

Inquiries The Foreign Affairs Committee carries out many inquiries, and publishes a variety of reports, including an annual Human Rights Report. During its inquiry into the government's decision to invade Iraq, David Kelly famously gave evidence to the committee on 15 July 2003, two days before his death.

In 2015 and 2016 the committee conducted an extensive and highly critical inquiry into the British involvement in the Libyan Civil War. It concluded that the early threat to civilians had been overstated and that the significant Islamist element in the rebel forces had not been recognised, due to an intelligence failure. By summer 2011 the initial limited intervention to protect Libyan civilians had become a policy of regime change. However that new policy did not include proper support and for a new government, leading to a political and economic collapse in Libya and the growth of ISIL in North Africa. The report concluded that the former Prime Minister David Cameron was ultimately responsible for this British policy failure.

See also Parliamentary committees of the United Kingdom

References

External links Foreign Affairs Committee Foreign Affairs Committee Members Former Foreign Affairs Committee Members