'Independent' MPs sacked

Gwyneth Dunwoody: Her plain-speaking has not endeared her to government ministers

Two senior Labour backbenchers, with a reputation for being fiercely independent, have lost their jobs leading two influential Parliamentary committees.

Gwyneth Dunwoody chaired the transport commitee throughout the last parliament - often criticising government rail policy.

Donald Anderson, a former diplomat, chaired the foreign affairs select committee.

It too showed a degree of independence from the government. Mr Anderson has also been sacked.

'Shame' on the sackers

Donald Anderson: Axed

For those who were worried that parliamentary scrutiny of the government might be difficult after another landslide electon victory, this is troublesome news.

The Tory MP Nicholas Soames lavished praise on Ms Dunwoody, calling her a role model for all select committee chairmen - and he called it a bad day for the House of Commons, and whoever was responsible should feel thoroughly ashamed.

Mrs Dunwoody herself was no less forthright, as she revealed in her interview with our programme.

Select committees are all-party bodies whose role it is to probe the work of government departments.