Labour’s Emily Thornberry, who was snubbed for a cabinet role by Sir Keir Starmer, is running to be chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, she has told Sky’s Electoral Dysfunction podcast.
Ms Thornberry, who served as shadow attorney general when Labour was in opposition, told political editor Beth Rigby she was “very sad” and “disappointed” not to get a government role because she wanted to part of the “great project” of a Labour government.
But she said she would instead run as a chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, a prestigious role in parliament.
She told Rigby: “I think if I was elected by the whole House to do that, that would be a fantastic job to do.”
Reflecting on her previous experience in opposition, where she has served in the roles of shadow foreign secretary, shadow defence secretary and shadow international trade secretary, she said: “I hope I’ve got kind of quite a lot of experience of that relevant stuff.
“And I’ve never been a chair, I’ve never been a chair of a select committee, and I haven’t been on a select committee obviously, for a long time because I’ve been on the [front]bench for more than a decade. But it’ll be something new.”
When he appointed his cabinet shortly after his election landslide, Sir Keir chose Richard Hermer KC, a former barrister at Matrix Chambers, as attorney general.
Ms Thornberry, who has represented Islington South and Finsbury since 2005, also told the podcast that this year’s election was “terrible” and “the worst I’ve ever experienced”.
She revealed that eight people with masks on “jumped out at her” during the campaign.
“Coming into parliament and talking to people, it’s quite clear that my experience was not unique,” she said.
“And I think it’s particularly bad, the attempted intimidation of women and also particularly intimidation of women from ethnic minorities.
“I think there’s something about about camera phones and about taking film and getting off on trying to get a rise out of politicians and then putting on social media and getting lots of clicks, which has resulted in a form of behaviour which can be intimidating.”
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She continued: “I think the worst one I had was eight people jumped out at me with masks on and cameras and it’s very hard to deal with that when you’re just knocking on doors and minding your own business.”
Explaining the incident, Ms Thornberry said: “The guy who came up to speak to me didn’t have a mask on, so I spoke to him.
“I tried to I put my hand out, shake his hand, and he wouldn’t give me his name, and he didn’t want to shake my hand.
“And then I realise, I look around and there were all of these people with masks on. I was with three of four other people, and eventually we got a car and I was able to get into it – but it was deliberate intimidation and it’s trying to film you being frightened.”
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Asked whether she felt frightened, Ms Thornberry replied: “I didn’t show any fear at all.
“And I said to them, ‘what part of two-state solution, immediate recognition of Palestine and immediate ceasefire do you not like?”
She said that while the incident was about Gaza she had “all kinds of other things”, including around climate change.
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“I don’t normally talk about this, but I do think that my experience is not unique,” she said.
“I think we need to call it out. And if you see that kind of film up on social media, you should call it out.”
