South East · England · 76,595Boundary · 2023

Blyth & Ashington

Follow⇄ Compare

Created in the 2023 boundary review, from parts of Blyth Valley and Wansbeck.

Dispatch
Apr 2026

Won by Lab in its first election in 2024. Covers Blyth (Northumberland), Ashington (Northumberland) and Bedlington. Population 101,539. Recorded crime is 38% below the national average. Median income £25K (below average).

One of Labour's more rebellious backbenchers, Ian Lavery has broken with his party five times since mid-2025 -- a notable tally for a 96.5% party-line voter overall. His dissent has targeted some of the government's more contested policies: he voted against the tuition fee rise, against expanding Public Order Act protest restrictions, against welfare reform clauses affecting PIP and Universal Credit, and against the Courts and Tribunals Bill's jury trial reforms. His background as a former NUM (National Union of Mineworkers) official shapes a distinctly left-wing profile that places him among the minority of Labour MPs willing to challenge the government from the left on welfare and civil liberties.

His voting record reveals sharp deviations from party norms on disability benefits -- backing them at 100% against a party average of 12% -- and consistently opposing welfare cuts while voting against criminal justice reforms. He scores just 25% on tough-on-crime measures and 5% on parliamentary scrutiny votes, but 100% on progressive taxation. With 182 contributions across 111 debates and 82% vote participation (broadly in line with Commons averages), he is an engaged rather than passive presence, focusing heavily on economy and jobs, social care, local government, and fiscal policy in his speeches.

398
Commons votes
This parliament
£25k
Median income
HMRC · 2024
76.6k
Electorate
2024 GE

Sign up free to see how Ian Lavery votes, their stance profile, speeches, and committee roles.

Sign up free
§ 06This week in Westminster.Live · today’s sittingOrder Paper · refreshed daily

Lavery’s scheduled Commons activity this week — whipped divisions, oral questions, debates — drawn from the House of Commons Order Paper.

§ 07The record, at a glance.418 divisions voted

Two readings of the same data. Issue volume shows where Lavery has cast the most ballots — a proxy for engagement, not direction. Notable votes are the moments where the whip was free or where they broke ranks.

Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted · cumulative this Parliament
Taxation
81
Economy
77
Employment
49
Education
35
Crime & Policing
33
Housing
24
Notable votes
Free votes and rebellions — moments the MP’s own judgment matters more than the whip
Crime and Policing Bill: motion to agree with all remaining Lords Amendments 14 Apr 2026
No
Draft Higher Education (Fee Limits and Fee Limit Condition) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 202618 Mar 2026
No
Courts and Tribunals Bill: Second Reading10 Mar 2026
No
§ 08The local picture.21 wards

Constituencies are not uniform. Below — the local council make-up, key facts worth knowing, and the neighbouring seats on either side.

WardCouncillorVotesParty
Ashington CentralCaroline Ball551Labour P
Bedlington CentralChristine Anne Taylor623Independ
Bedlington EastRebecca Wilczek436Labour P
Bedlington WestMalcolm Robinson651Independ
BothalLynne Grimshaw773Labour P
ChoppingtonMary Bernadette Murphy429Labour P
CollegeMark Andrew Purvis773Labour P
CowpenMargaret Richardson398Labour P
CroftKath Nisbet556Labour P
HaydonBrian Charles Gallacher813Labour P
HirstKen Parry559Labour P
IsabellaAnna Watson482Labour P
Population (2021 Census)
101,539
Electorate 76,595 · 2024 register
Median income
£24,800
HMRC SPI 2024
Households renting privately
17.8%
England average 20.0%
Schools
38
25 primary · 5 secondary
Next · dig deeperEvery division, question, speech and committee record

Mine the full
record → Data view

Filter divisions, search written questions, read every speech since the election. Sortable, searchable, downloadable.

More constituency data is being added, including local issue analysis and historical trends. Learn about our methodology. View data sources & attribution.