NORTH Dorset MP Simon Hoare has been elected as the new chairman of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee.

The Conservative politician, who backed remain in the 2016 EU referendum, received 239 votes out of 444 that were cast in a secret ballot of MPs from across Parliament.

Mr Hoare, who is backing Sajid Javid to become the next Tory leader, said: “It is obviously an interesting and important time. There are important talks that are going on with regards to the restoration of Stormont. All of our energies have to be focused on this.

“It is crucial that the people of Northern Ireland have accountable politicians who are delivering their health, education and other local services.

“It is really important that we get that administration back.

“If we can get it back up and running I think that will be enormously helpful, in terms of underscoring the stability of governance in Northern Ireland, which may very well help in this next round of Brexit negotiations.”

Speaker John Bercow made the announcement in the House of Commons on Wednesday.

There were three candidates in the race, Maria Caulfield, Mark Pritchard and Mr Hoare.

Mr Hoare, who has voted in favour of the government’s withdrawal deal three times, takes over from Andrew Murrison, who stood down in May to take up a junior minister post.

Last month Mr Hoare stepped down from his role as parliamentary private secretary to Home Secretary Sajid Javid so he could run for the select committee position.

“For too long we have treated Northern Ireland as being ‘other’,” said Mr Hoare. “I would like us to get to a point where it is as normal a part of the United Kingdom, in terms of how its politics is viewed and delivered, as Scotland, Wales and England.”

“I think that is an important target to aim for.”

Stormont, the Northern Ireland Assembly, collapsed when the late deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness resigned over the RHI Scandal in January 2017.

The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee’s main job is to hold Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley MP, to account.

It is comprised of 13 MPs, including a number of Democratic Unionist Party MPs and independent unionist MP Lady Hermon.

The committee carries out inquiries into the administration, spending and policy of the office.