Some new runners and riders in the select committee chairmanship stakes. Charlie Elphicke has thrown his hat into the ring for Treasury select committee chair, running as the populist candidate who would turn the committee into a story factory “across the media from tabloid to TV”. After all, why should the Public Accounts committee have all the fun. He is a former tax lawyer and PAC member so Philip Hammond could expect to face significant scrutiny. Make the Treasury Select Committee Great Again?

Elsewhere, Defence select committee chair Julian Lewis faces a challenge from up-and-comer Johnny Mercer. Bercow’s best mate Lewis hasn’t exactly been an inspiration and the committee may benefit from a sexier chair – Mercer is on the up, increasingly has the respect of colleagues and is certainly one to watch. Couple of weeks until election day…