Gainsborough.

One of Parliament's longest-serving MPs voted with his party to refer Keir Starmer to the Privileges Committee over the Mandelson appointment -- a procedurally significant move backed by the Conservative benches in late April. That same week Leigh voted consistently to support Lords' amendments on English devolution and opposed the government's reserve power over pension fund investments, arguing mandatory direction of funds risked poor returns for pensioners and amounted to inappropriate state interference. A 2025 conviction -- a guilty plea for opening a car door onto a police officer, resulting in a fine -- drew negative coverage, as did earlier remarks in 2022 suggesting Lincolnshire had "done its bit" on migration, which were publicly rejected by senior local Conservatives. More recently, a statement in support of the Jewish community in March 2026 generated positive coverage.

At 64% participation, Leigh votes in roughly two-thirds of divisions -- below the Commons average. He has never broken from his party in the current data, making him a 100% party-line Conservative. His stance profile puts him firmly against progressive taxation, workers' rights, and criminal justice reform, while strongly backing Lords scrutiny, parliamentary oversight, and pro-business positions. His 416 speech contributions span economy and jobs, defence, crime, and immigration -- a broad range, but with no single overriding specialism.

Leigh has sat in Parliament since 1983, a tenure that grants him the title of Father of the House. He sits on the Panel of Chairs, which oversees committee debates, and chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Skin -- a role informed by his own experience of a skin condition. He deviates from his party average by voting less frequently in favour of armed forces welfare and child welfare than most Conservative MPs, but more frequently on NHS funding and tenant rights. Local news coverage in the past 90 days is broadly neutral.