A Bill to provide that the appointment and dismissal of the Governor of the Bank of England be subject to the consent of a Committee of the House of Commons; and for connected purposes.
The purpose of the Bill is to give the Treasury Select Committee, or its successor bodies, the power to consent to the appointment of the Governor of the Bank of England. The immediate stimulus for this is the substantial increase in powers that would be given to the Bank of England under the Financial Services Bill 2012-13.The Bill would represent an enhancement of the powers of the Select Committees in the Commons, in that the Treasury Committee is given a statutory veto over appointment. The Governor of the Bank of England is a post of major importance in the UK economy. Other Select Committees hold pre-appointment hearings for other major bodies, but this does not give them a veto, nor is this right set out in statute.
The Bill would require the Treasury Select Committee (or its successor bodies) to consent to both the appointment and the dismissal of the Governor of the Bank of England. In effect, Parliament would have a formal, statutory veto over who leads the Bank and when they can be removed, rather than relying on unwritten conventions. The measure aims to strengthen parliamentary oversight in light of powers proposed in the Financial Services Bill 2012-13.
The Bill is at its second reading in the House of Commons. It originated in the Commons and would establish a statutory consent mechanism over the Governor’s appointment and removal.
Generated 21 February 2026
No recorded votes for this bill yet.
