MPs have elected Helen Hayes as chair of the House of Commons education select committee. The Dulwich and West Norwood MP and former shadow children’s minister saw off聽competition聽from Sharon Hodgson and Marie Tidball in a ballot which closed earlier this afternoon.聽 Hayes is the first woman to chair the committee and first Labour MP to do so since 2010. As chair she will play a leading role in holding Department for Education ministers and officials to account. She said she was “honoured to have been elected”. 鈥淲orking cross-party, this committee will continue to champion the interests of children, young people and parents in every corner of England and from every background, as well as adults who seek to retrain and learn new skills. 鈥淥ver the course of this Parliament, we will scrutinise the policies of this Government and bodies such as Ofsted and Ofqual, and always be led by the evidence we receive.鈥� ‘Ambitious programme of inquiries’ Hayes won 263 votes in the first round to Hodgson’s 197 and Tidball’s 97. As the recipient of the lowest number of votes, Tidball was eliminated. Hayes received 312 votes to Hodgson’s 214 in the second round. In her , Hayes pledged an 鈥渁mbitious programme of inquiries鈥� if elected on issues such as a fit-for-purpose skills system, SEND reform, reviewing the school curriculum and scrutinising the work of the government鈥檚 child poverty task force. 鈥淚 am committed to ensuring that the education select committee takes the widest possible evidence for each inquiry, including by making visits to education and care settings across the country. 鈥淚 will be a fair and inclusive chair and a strong voice for the committee and its work in the Chamber and in our wider national discourse,鈥� Hayes said. officially take up their posts once the remaining committee members have been appointed, which is likely to take place next month following the party conference recess.