Nigel Farage has slammed a “failure of democracy” after Reform MPs were blocked from sitting on any of Parliament’s Select Committees.

The Reform UK leader said his party won more votes than the Liberal Democrats.

But three of Sir Ed Davey’s MPs will chair three committees on Health and Social Care, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Petitions.

And MPs will sit on the rest of them.

Mr Farage spoke out as the heads of each of the committees was elected through secret ballots on Wednesday.

He said: “Reform MPs boycotted the elections for Select Committee Chairs in Parliament tonight.

“Despite us winning more votes than the Lib Dems, we are not allowed a single seat.

“This is a failure of democracy.”

Emily Thornberry has secured a key committee post in the Commons after failing to be given a ministerial job in the new Labour Government.

The former shadow cabinet minister was elected the new Foreign Affairs Committee chairwoman on Wednesday, finishing ahead of Labour colleague Dan Carden (Liverpool Walton).

Ms Thornberry served as shadow attorney general until the general election was called, but Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer opted to ensure Richard Hermer received a peerage to enable him to become the Government’s chief legal adviser.

Other Labour MPs to be elected included:

– Liam Byrne (Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North) for the Business and Trade Committee;

– Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Slough) for the Defence Committee;

– Helen Hayes (Dulwich and West Norwood) for the Education Committee;

– Bill Esterson (Sefton Central) for the Energy, Security and Net-Zero Committee;

– Toby Perkins (Chesterfield) for the Environmental Audit Committee;

– Florence Eshalomi (Vauxhall and Camberwell Green) for the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee;

– Sarah Champion (Rotherham) for the International Development Committee;

– Andy Slaughter (Hammersmith and Chiswick) for the Justice Committee;

– Chi Onwurah (Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West) for the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee;

– Ruth Cadbury (Brentford and Isleworth) for the Transport Committee;

– Sarah Owen (Luton North) for the Women and Equalities Committee;

– Debbie Abrahams (Oldham East and Saddleworth) for the Work and Pensions Committee;

– Cat Smith (Lancaster and Wyre) for the Procedure Committee.

Conservative former minister Dame Karen Bradley will chair the Home Affairs Committee while Alberto Costa, Tory MP for South Leicestershire, will chair the Standards Committee.

Tory Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (North Cotswolds) will chair the Public Accounts Committee while party colleague Simon Hoare, a former minister, will chair the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee.

Mr Costa said he was “delighted” to take on the role and looked “forward to working with my parliamentary colleagues across the House and with the Committee’s lay members in taking forward (its) very important work”.

Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle said a recount is required for the Scottish Affairs Committee and the result will be announced on Thursday.

He said a total of 577 MPs voted in the secret ballot for the select committee elections.