Eastbourne.

Elected only in 2024, Babarinde has already made a mark well beyond the average new MP. In February 2026 he was named best new MP of the year by The Argus, and in November 2025 his party elected him Liberal Democrat president -- recognition built on tangible achievements including securing legislative protections for domestic abuse victims and handling over 600 housing cases for constituents. His two rebel votes -- both against the Tobacco and Vapes Bill at Second and Third Reading, bucking his party's support for the legislation -- stand out as the clearest policy divergence on record, suggesting personal reservations about the smokefree generation approach that his party backed.

At 71% voting participation, Babarinde sits below the Commons average, though his 261 contributions across 195 debates suggest he is active when present. He votes with the Liberal Democrats on 99.5% of divisions, making the tobacco votes genuinely unusual. His speeches cluster around crime, the economy, local government and social care -- topics that map closely onto Eastbourne constituency concerns. He is strongly aligned with Lords scrutiny (97%) and parliamentary accountability (95%), and he voted in April 2026 to refer the Prime Minister to the Privileges Committee over the Mandelson appointment, consistent with that pattern. He scores low on fiscal responsibility and workers' rights measures relative to his own party's position.

His local press coverage is high-volume but broadly neutral in tone across 174 articles in the past 90 days, with culture, community and sport dominating. The most positively scored stories concern housing events, the restored Eastbourne-to-London rail service he campaigned for, and SEND education advocacy. He holds no committee seats. Voting data and speeches are available from July 2024 onwards; his full rebel vote record may be incomplete given his short tenure.