Amber Valley / data
Linsey Farnsworth · Labour Party · sitting since 04 Jul 2024 · every division, speech and committee appearance.
Since election
659days
from 04 Jul 2024
Divisions
447
of 504 possible
Attendance
89%
57 absent / paired
Whip alignment
100%
vs party majority
Speeches
334
75 debates
Written Qs
16
16 answered
Committees
1
memberships
Expenses
£217k paid
FY 2024–2025 · 144 claims
Interests
2
1 category
A · Overview
Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted — engagement only, not direction.
| Issue | Volume | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Taxation | 90 | |
| Economy | 86 | |
| Employment | 50 | |
| Crime & Policing | 42 | |
| Education | 41 | |
| Constitution and Democracy | 29 | |
| Housing | 24 | |
| Energy | 22 |
Speech topics
Words spoken, by topic. Source: Hansard.
| Topic | Debates | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Crime | 23 | 11,399 |
| Culture Community | 7 | 7,005 |
| Economy Jobs | 22 | 4,878 |
| Social Care | 14 | 3,731 |
| Education | 6 | 2,912 |
| Fiscal Policy | 5 | 2,624 |
| Local Government | 11 | 2,455 |
| Cost Of Living | 7 | 2,350 |
B · Notable divisions
Free votes, rebellions and high-salience whipped votes — the moments that distinguish this MP from the party machine. The full division-by-division record will follow once the per-MP archive is wired.
| Date | Division | Whip | MP voted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Jun 2025 | Crime and Policing Bill Report Stage: New Clause 1Vote on a package of government new clauses to the Crime and Policing Bill at Report Stage, covering measures including: criminalising organ… | Rebelled | No |
C · Speeches
| Date | Contribution | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Apr 2026 | Public Procurement3. What steps his Department is taking to modernise public procurement. Economy JobsLocal Government | 11 |
| 23 Apr 2026 | Public ProcurementYesterday in this House, when I asked the Minister to include ceramics in the “back British business” procurement strategy, he said that the strategy only covers four sectors that … Economy JobsLocal Government | 129 |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Government Procurement StrategyAs the Member for Amber Valley, I represent Denby Pottery, which sadly is in administration and I am desperately trying to save it. It is a joy in this House to use crockery made i… Economy JobsTechnologyDefence | 88 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Courts and Tribunals Bill (Eighth sitting)The Minister mentions charging decisions. As it stands, the amendment would suggest absolutely nonsensical charging decisions. Prosecuting somebody for all the offences listed in p… CrimeSocial Care | 111 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Courts and Tribunals Bill (Seventh sitting)I am about to conclude, so I will not. I support new clause 29, tabled by my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham Erdington, but I submit that the change and modernisation that th… Crime | 62 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Courts and Tribunals Bill (Seventh sitting)I do apologise, Ms Jardine. The report by the Deputy Prime Minister, as he is now, was conducted almost a decade ago. It highlighted concern about the sentencing decisions of judge… Crime | 422 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Courts and Tribunals Bill (Seventh sitting)It is, of course, imperative that the public have confidence in the whole of the criminal justice system. In my submission, the modernisation that the Bill provides offers a timely… Crime | 60 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Courts and Tribunals Bill (Seventh sitting)It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Jardine. I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham Erdington for tabling new clause 29, which I support. It is a … Crime | 141 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Courts and Tribunals Bill (Eighth sitting)I remind the hon. Member that magistrates in the youth court are able to impose sentences of up to two years, and that in its written evidence, the Magistrates’ Association states … CrimeSocial Care | 55 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Courts and Tribunals Bill (Seventh sitting)No. I will make some progress; we need to make progress today. The researchers found that more than 90% of respondents in the survey they conducted believed that discrimination on … Crime | 245 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Courts and Tribunals Bill (Fifth sitting)District judges in the magistrates courts sit alone every sitting day and hear cases and trials. They then go on to sentence if that person is convicted, or to release them if they… Crime | 78 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Courts and Tribunals Bill (Sixth sitting)It is true that the case has to go up to the Crown court, but it is not for the purposes that the hon. Member would like, as it were. It is because the magistrates’ maximum sentenc… CrimeFiscal Policy | 62 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Courts and Tribunals Bill (Fifth sitting)My point follows on from the powerful point the hon. Member is making about the need to look at good practice, which is something we should all get behind. Over my many years of wo… Crime | 157 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Courts and Tribunals Bill (Fifth sitting)I think the hon. Member is saying this is a balancing exercise. It is about having a fair trial, but one that is equipped within our criminal justice system. That is exactly what t… Crime | 71 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Courts and Tribunals Bill (Fifth sitting)Common assault, for example— Crime | 4 |
D · Written questions
Top departments
| Department | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Health and Social Care | 4 | 25.0% |
| Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | 4 | 25.0% |
| Treasury | 3 | 18.8% |
| Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | 2 | 12.5% |
| Department for Work and Pensions | 1 | 6.3% |
| Department for Energy Security and Net Zero | 1 | 6.3% |
| Ministry of Justice | 1 | 6.3% |
Most recent
| Date | Department | Question | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 04 Mar 2026 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the inclusion of fruit and nut bars in the location restrictions for high fat, sugar and salt products since October 2022 on bu… | Answered |
| 20 Feb 2026 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he will publish an economic impact assessment on the potential impact of the 2018 Nutrient Profiling Model within the advertising and promotion regulations, specifically in r… | Answered |
| 20 Feb 2026 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of UK–EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary trade negotiations on the cut flower and plant sector; and when small flower-sel… | Answered |
| 13 Jan 2026 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she has taken to appoint a Retail and Hospitality Envoy. | Answered |
| 12 Nov 2025 | Department for Energy Security and Net Zero | To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what his priorities are for the UN Climate Change Conference 2025. | Answered |
| 10 Nov 2025 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will take legislative steps to create new commodity codes under Section 64 of the UK Global Tariff to include the use of sustainable materials in safety footwear. | Answered |
| 10 Nov 2025 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of aligning the duty rates applied to textile footwear with other textile-based safety equipment. | Answered |
| 10 Nov 2025 | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to improve the rights of property buyers in the context of consultations on home buying and selling reform and the provision of… | Answered |
| 10 Oct 2025 | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to prevent developers seeking to (a) reduce and (b) remove obligations under agreements entered into under section 106 of the T… | Answered |
| 10 Oct 2025 | Department for Work and Pensions | To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to improve Child Maintenance Service (a) communication with service users, (b) maintenance calculations and (c) handling of arrears. | Answered |
| 12 Sept 2025 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to allow self-funded Pre-implantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidy as an add-on to NHS-funded IVF treatment. | Answered |
| 10 Mar 2025 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his EU counterparts on streamlining the import process for flowers. | Answered |
| 25 Feb 2025 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to end delays in border checks for flowers and plants imported from the EU. | Answered |
| 25 Feb 2025 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure there is an adequate number of trained and skilled staff conducting checks on flowers and plants at UK border posts. | Answered |
| 06 Nov 2024 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that contract negotiations take into account variations in unit prices between dentistry practices (a) across England and (b) that are g… | Answered |
E · Committees
| Committee | Role | House | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justice CommitteeSelect | Member | Commons | 21 Oct 2024 | present |
F · Expenses
Every business-cost claim reimbursed by IPSA in the current financial year, grouped by category. “Aggregated” rows are IPSA’s own year-end totals for cost types like payroll and rent that aren’t itemised claim-by-claim.
Category breakdown
| Category | Claims | Paid (£) | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation | 13 | 26,483 | 12.2% |
| Office Costs | 120 | 26,099 | 12.1% |
| MP Travel | 0 | 7,445 | 3.4% |
| Staff Travel | 0 | 4,550 | 2.1% |
| Staffing | 0 | 151,315 | 69.9% |
| Dependant Travel | 0 | 652 | 0.3% |
Top itemised cost types
| Cost type | Category | Claims | Paid (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | Accommodation | 9 | 24,139 |
| Rent | Office Costs | 10 | 9,548 |
| Stationery & printing | Office Costs | 65 | 6,003 |
| Pooled staffing services | Office Costs | 1 | 3,000 |
| Software & applications | Office Costs | 3 | 2,303 |
| Council tax | Accommodation | 1 | 1,119 |
| Equipment - purchase | Office Costs | 5 | 975 |
| Utilities | Office Costs | 11 | 928 |
| Hotel - London | Accommodation | 2 | 840 |
| Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Office Costs | 7 | 826 |
| Training - MP | Office Costs | 2 | 600 |
| Utilities | Accommodation | 1 | 385 |
Most recent
| Date | Category | Description | Paid (£) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Apr 2025 | Accommodation Council tax | TOWER HAMLETS BC [200011803-35] | 1,119 | Paid |
| 23 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Landline & internet package | 121 | Paid |
| 17 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Utilities | Gas | 121 | Paid |
| 17 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Utilities | Gas | 117 | Paid |
| 17 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Utilities | Electricity | 68 | Paid |
| 17 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Utilities | Electricity | 59 | Paid |
| 17 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Utilities | Electricity | 47 | Paid |
| 01 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Rent | Rent | 1,260 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Rent | 2024-25 [***] rent pro-rata | -1,260 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Rent | 2024-25 [***] rent pro-rata | -1,861 | Paid |
| 28 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Landline & internet package | 115 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Rent | Rent | 3,250 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 150 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Cleaning services | Banner March 2025 | 55 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Cleaning services | Banner March 2025 | 34 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Cleaning services | Banner March 2025 | 20 | Paid |
| 09 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Website hosting and design | WIX.COM [***] [200011725-2226] | 130 | Paid |
| 09 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Website hosting and design | WIX.COM [***] [200011725-2227] | 12 | Paid |
| 06 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Website hosting and design | WIX.COM [200011725-2376] | 40 | Paid |
| 04 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Rent | Rent | 1,260 | Paid |
G · Register of interests
Every financial interest declared by the MP, grouped under the Register’s official categories. Retracted entries are hidden but counted above.
8. Miscellaneous2 entries
16 Aug 2024
Unpaid Borough Councillor, Amber Valley Borough Council.
(Registered 29 July 2024)
16 Aug 2024
Name of donor: Martin Spare
Company shares in SRM Industries Ltd. These are alphabet shares with no monetary value.
(Registered 31 July 2024)
H · Ward results
Most recent winning councillor in each ward — 12 wards, 29 councillor seats.
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Votes | Election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alfreton | Gail Dolman | Labour Party | 809 | 04 May 2023 |
| Alfreton | Keith Wood | Labour Party | 763 | 04 May 2023 |
| Alfreton | Steve Marshall-Clarke | Labour Party | 828 | 04 May 2023 |
| Codnor Langley Mill Aldercar | Chris Emmas-Williams | Labour Party | 871 | 04 May 2023 |
| Codnor Langley Mill Aldercar | David Edward Moon | Labour Party | 684 | 04 May 2023 |
| Codnor Langley Mill Aldercar | Eileen Hamilton | Labour Party | 702 | 04 May 2023 |
| Heage Ambergate | Amina Burslem | Labour Party | 547 | 04 May 2023 |
| Heage Ambergate | Paul Lobley | Labour Party | 746 | 04 May 2023 |
| Heanor East | Janet Irene Ward | Labour Party | 524 | 04 May 2023 |
| Heanor East | Trevor Holmes | Labour Party | 524 | 04 May 2023 |
| Heanor West Loscoe | Matthew Gareth Jones | Labour Party | 786 | 04 May 2023 |
| Heanor West Loscoe | Nicholas Arron Beswick | Labour Party | 858 | 04 May 2023 |
| Heanor West Loscoe | Steve Bower | Labour Party | 873 | 04 May 2023 |
| Ironville Riddings | Kieron Cox | Labour Party | 645 | 04 May 2023 |
| Ironville Riddings | Rebecca Louise Grundy | Labour Party | 645 | 04 May 2023 |
| Kilburn Denby Holbrook Horsley | Julie Whitmore | Conservative and Unionist Party | 981 | 04 May 2023 |
| Kilburn Denby Holbrook Horsley | Linsey Farnsworth | Labour Party | 1,158 | 04 May 2023 |
| Kilburn Denby Holbrook Horsley | Trevor Ainsworth | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,065 | 04 May 2023 |
| Ripley | David Alan Williams | Labour Party | 1,062 | 04 May 2023 |
| Ripley | Matt Allwood | Labour Party | 1,022 | 04 May 2023 |
| Ripley | Tony Holmes | Labour Party | 1,192 | 04 May 2023 |
| Ripley Marehay | Lyndsay Delyth Cox | Labour Party | 694 | 04 May 2023 |
| Ripley Marehay | Mick Wilson | Labour Party | 684 | 04 May 2023 |
| Smalley Shipley Horsley Woodhouse | Amanda Paget | Green Party of England and Wales | 748 | 04 May 2023 |
| Smalley Shipley Horsley Woodhouse | Lian Pizzey | Green Party of England and Wales | 672 | 04 May 2023 |
| Somercotes | Elaine Stephanie Sherman | Labour Party | 519 | 04 May 2023 |
| Somercotes | John McCabe | Labour Party | 653 | 04 May 2023 |
| Swanwick | Jonty Powis | Conservative and Unionist Party | 659 | 04 May 2023 |
| Swanwick | Steve Hayes | Conservative and Unionist Party | 733 | 04 May 2023 |
I · Demographics
| Indicator | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 95,626 | Electorate 71,546 (2024) |
| Median age | 45 | years |
| Degree-educated | 25.0% | level 4 or above |
| Ethnicity (White) | 97.6% | 2021 Census ethnic group |
| Owner-occupied | 71.1% | households |
| Private-rented | 14.7% | households |
| Social-rented | 14.1% | households |
| Employment rate | 57.2% | 16-64 in work |
J · Public spending
HMT publishes headline spending identifiable by region in PESA. Constituency-level capital allocations (Levelling-Up Fund, Towns Fund, UKSPF, transport capital, BEIS R&D) are published as separate departmental datasets. We are evaluating the cleanest reconciliation for a per-constituency view.