Mid Bedfordshire / data
Blake Stephenson · Conservative and Unionist Party · sitting since 04 Jul 2024 · every division, speech and committee appearance.
Since election
659days
from 04 Jul 2024
Divisions
360
of 504 possible
Attendance
71%
144 absent / paired
Whip alignment
100%
vs party majority
Speeches
354
112 debates
Written Qs
1,468
1,467 answered
Committees
2
memberships
Expenses
£203k paid
FY 2024–2025 · 214 claims
Interests
8
5 categories
A · Overview
Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted — engagement only, not direction.
| Issue | Volume | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Taxation | 85 | |
| Economy | 73 | |
| Employment | 44 | |
| Crime & Policing | 39 | |
| Education | 30 | |
| Pensions | 20 | |
| Housing | 20 | |
| Constitution and Democracy | 20 |
Speech topics
Words spoken, by topic. Source: Hansard.
| Topic | Debates | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Economy Jobs | 38 | 10,253 |
| Environment | 14 | 6,393 |
| Housing | 10 | 6,042 |
| Local Government | 15 | 4,970 |
| Health | 9 | 4,825 |
| Fiscal Policy | 15 | 4,522 |
| Social Care | 18 | 3,469 |
| Crime | 10 | 2,683 |
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.
No notable votes recorded for this MP yet.
C · Speeches
| Date | Contribution | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Apr 2026 | Victims and Courts BillI will speak to Lords amendments 5C and 6B. Before I do so, may I thank the Minister for working in a collaborative and cross-party way on this issue? I congratulate hon. Members w… Crime | 830 |
| 15 Apr 2026 | Rail Prices: Contactless PaymentsI thank my hon. Friend for securing this very important debate. There are issues with people who rely on super off-peak tickets, particularly at the weekends. Contactless has been … TransportCost Of Living | 110 |
| 13 Apr 2026 | Leasehold Reform: Integrated Retirement CommunitiesWixams retirement village in Mid Bedfordshire is a wonderful, integrated retirement community, but I understand from the sector and the industry that that business model is under t… HousingSocial Care | 95 |
| 13 Apr 2026 | Leasehold Reform: Integrated Retirement Communities7. What assessment he has made of the potential impact of planned reforms to leasehold on integrated retirement communities. HousingSocial Care | 19 |
| 19 Mar 2026 | Public Accounts Committee — Oral Evidence (2026-03-19)Sorry, I haven’t been on one of your tours either, although I have seen the pictures and it looks quite interesting. I should probably do that. | 26 |
| 19 Mar 2026 | Public Accounts Committee — Oral Evidence (2026-03-19)From the briefings I have had, the expected costs of these options have not been briefed to MPs and you haven’t had engagement from us. Between now and these motions coming before … | 64 |
| 19 Mar 2026 | Public Accounts Committee — Oral Evidence (2026-03-19)Only 38% of newly elected Members have been engaged, consulted or briefed, and 41% in total. I don’t want to be controversial, but clearly your outreach to MPs has not worked as we… | 94 |
| 19 Mar 2026 | Public Accounts Committee — Oral Evidence (2026-03-19)Thank you. Moving on to engagement with MPs, right at the start you talked about your statutory duty. Would you just confirm what that is? I think you have been using “consult” and… | 41 |
| 19 Mar 2026 | Public Accounts Committee — Oral Evidence (2026-03-19)I guess my advice would be to focus on the money, because we all care about value for money. With some of the upper estimates, we could build 50 hospitals for that. Focusing on wha… | 72 |
| 19 Mar 2026 | Public Accounts Committee — Oral Evidence (2026-03-19)I think we all know how difficult planning is in this country. If it were easier, we would get infrastructure over the line much quicker. Do you have a sense of how much that could… | 104 |
| 19 Mar 2026 | Public Accounts Committee — Oral Evidence (2026-03-19)To close the session, I have a few questions on engagement with MPs, but first may I ask some clarification questions about some of the planning risks, which the Chair was talking … | 88 |
| 19 Mar 2026 | Public Accounts Committee — Oral Evidence (2026-03-19)With those numbers in mind, do you take the view as a programme management team that you have satisfied your statutory duty? | 22 |
| 19 Mar 2026 | Public Accounts Committee — Oral Evidence (2026-03-19)Would you be able to describe the consultation process for this Committee? I am particularly interested to know whether it is genuinely two-way, or whether people are going on a to… | 37 |
| 19 Mar 2026 | Public Accounts Committee — Oral Evidence (2026-03-19)Can I just pause you? You used the word “briefing”. For me, if I am being briefed, I am being told rather than being asked for an opinion. The nub of my question is to what extent … | 50 |
| 19 Mar 2026 | Public Accounts Committee — Oral Evidence (2026-03-19)Okay. So thus far, from the numbers you provided earlier, you have consulted with and/or had feedback from 41% of Members and 38% of newly elected Members. Is that right? | 30 |
D · Written questions
Top departments
| Department | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | 311 | 21.2% |
| Department of Health and Social Care | 183 | 12.5% |
| Department for Transport | 142 | 9.7% |
| Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | 142 | 9.7% |
| Treasury | 129 | 8.8% |
| Home Office | 108 | 7.4% |
| Department for Education | 96 | 6.5% |
| Department for Business and Trade | 60 | 4.1% |
Most recent
| Date | Department | Question | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Apr 2026 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much has been spent by East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust on (a) legal fees and (b) other costs associated with terminating the employment of David Perrin and defending… | Answered |
| 13 Apr 2026 | Home Office | To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what engagement her Department has had with the Secretary of State for Education on the introduction of the Home Office English Language Test. | Pending |
| 13 Apr 2026 | Home Office | To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2026 to Question 104261 on English Language: Assessments, what estimate she has made of the net positive benefit to the public purse of the Home Off… | Answered |
| 13 Apr 2026 | Home Office | To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what comparative assessment she has made of the (a) security of in-person supervision and (b) best-in-class digital security measures in the Home Office English Language Test. | Answered |
| 13 Apr 2026 | Home Office | To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what contingency arrangements she plans to put in place to ensure secure provision of the Home Office English Language Test in the event of technical exploits subverting digital securit… | Answered |
| 13 Apr 2026 | Home Office | To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what evidence on test security her Department reviewed as part of the market engagement process for the Home Office English Language tender. | Answered |
| 13 Apr 2026 | Home Office | To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department plans to take to identify and mitigate potential attempts at cheating resulting from the new Home Office English Language Test being taken outside secure test… | Answered |
| 13 Apr 2026 | Home Office | To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with Duolingo on the introduction of the Home Office English Language Test. | Answered |
| 13 Apr 2026 | Home Office | To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what engagement her Department has had with Ofqual regarding the introduction of the Home Office English Language Test. | Answered |
| 13 Apr 2026 | Home Office | To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to Parliamentary Question 104261 answered on 16 January 2026, whether the ‘net positive benefit to the public purse’ of the new Home Office English Language Test will be used t… | Answered |
| 13 Apr 2026 | Home Office | To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what engagement her department has had with the Minister for Investment regarding the introduction of the Home Office English Language Test. | Answered |
| 13 Apr 2026 | Home Office | To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to Parliamentary Question 104261 answered on 16 January 2026, if the lower cost of the Home Office English Language Test will be passed on to test takers. | Answered |
| 13 Apr 2026 | Home Office | To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential risk that takers of the fully remote Home Office English Language Test may use artificial intelligence technology to circumvent testing int… | Answered |
| 13 Apr 2026 | Home Office | To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2026 to question 104256 on Visas: English Language, which other countries' systems have been considered in development of the Home Office English La… | Answered |
| 13 Apr 2026 | Home Office | To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to Parliamentary Question 104261 answered on 16 January 2026, to which budgets the ‘net positive benefit to the public purse’ of the new Home Office English Language Test will… | Answered |
E · Committees
| Committee | Role | House | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Accounts CommitteeSelect | Member | Commons | 30 Jun 2025 | present |
| Environmental Audit CommitteeSelect | Member | Commons | 28 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office Costs | 173 | 28,612 | 14.1% |
| Staffing | 10 | 167,461 | 82.5% |
| Accommodation | 18 | 2,138 | 1.1% |
| MP Travel | 0 | 2,190 | 1.1% |
| Staff Travel | 0 | 2,592 | 1.3% |
Top itemised cost types
| Cost type | Category | Claims | Paid (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equipment - purchase | Office Costs | 33 | 10,397 |
| Stationery & printing | Office Costs | 79 | 6,401 |
| Rent | Office Costs | 7 | 6,343 |
| Bought-in services | Staffing | 4 | 6,150 |
| Pooled staffing services | Staffing | 1 | 5,265 |
| Training - staff | Staffing | 4 | 4,373 |
| Recruitment Services &Costs | Staffing | 1 | 2,500 |
| Software & applications | Office Costs | 3 | 1,703 |
| Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | Office Costs | 23 | 1,242 |
| Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Office Costs | 14 | 1,083 |
| Council tax | Accommodation | 6 | 1,008 |
| Service charge & ground Rent | Accommodation | 8 | 1,000 |
Most recent
| Date | Category | Description | Paid (£) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Landline | 24 | Paid |
| 11 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | XMA March 2025 | 1,002 | Paid |
| 11 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | XMA March 2025 | 410 | Paid |
| 11 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | XMA March 2025 | 410 | Paid |
| 11 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | XMA March 2025 | 410 | Paid |
| 11 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | XMA March 2025 | 84 | Paid |
| 11 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | XMA March 2025 | 42 | Paid |
| 11 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | XMA March 2025 | 42 | Paid |
| 11 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | XMA March 2025 | 42 | Paid |
| 03 Apr 2025 | Accommodation Service charge & ground Rent | Management Fee | 125 | Paid |
| 02 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Bought-in services | Professional & consultancy | 650 | Paid |
| 01 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Rent | Rent | 1,057 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Rent | 2024-25 [***] rent pro-rata | -1,057 | Paid |
| 29 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | 37 | Paid |
| 28 Mar 2025 | Staffing Training - staff | PARLI-TRAINING [200011725-9697] | 264 | Paid |
| 26 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Computer, laptop, PC, tablet & accessories | 204 | Paid |
| 26 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | AMAZON [***] [200011725-8502] | 106 | Paid |
| 26 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | AMAZON [***] [200011725-8501] | 90 | Paid |
| 26 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | AMAZON [***] [200011725-8500] | 63 | Paid |
| 26 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | AMAZON [***] [200011725-8504] | 63 | 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.
1. Employment and earnings2 entries
03 Jun 2025
Payment: £15,211.53 Total gross payments (before deductions) associated with the vesting and sale of restricted stock units in Tradeweb Inc. which were earnt whilst in employment before entering Parliament.
Received on: 1 May 2025. Hours: no hours entered.
(Registered 20 May 2025)
03 Jun 2025
Role, work or services: Compliance Officer
Until: 28 February 2023.
Payer: Tradeweb Europe Limited (A UK investment firm with permissions to operate a Multilateral Trading Facility ("MTF"), an Organised Trading Facility (“OTF”) and an Approved Publication Arrangement (“APA”).), 1 Fore Street Avenue, Moorgate, London EC2Y 9DT
(Registered 20 May 2025)
3. Gifts, benefits and hospitality from UK sources2 entries
13 Feb 2026
Name of donor: British Association for Shooting and Conservation
Address of donor: Marford Mill, Rossett, Wrexham, LL12 0HL
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: Educational visit in the UK to learn about deer management and conservation, value £440
Date received: 18 December 2025 to 19 December 2025
Date accepted: 18 December 2025
Donor status: company, registration IP28488R
(Registered 15 January 2026)
29 Apr 2025
Name of donor: London Marathon Events Limited
Address of donor: 190 Great Dover Street, London SE1 4YB
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: 2025 London Marathon Start and Finish Line Hospitality, value £350
Date received: 27 April 2025
Date accepted: 27 April 2025
Donor status: company, registration 01528489
(Registered 28 April 2025)
4. Visits outside the UK1 entry
02 Dec 2025
Name of donor: Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit
Address of donor: 180 Borough High Street, London SE1 1LB
Estimate of the probable value (or amount of any donation): Accommodation (£292.41), Flights (£2,271.72) and Maximum subsistence received (£835.64), value £3,339.77
Destination of visit: Brazil (Belém, Pará)
Dates of visit: 11 November 2025 to 18 November 2025
Purpose of visit: Attendance of COP30 to meet legislators and experts and to build knowledge of the international climate process.
(Registered 28 November 2025)
6. Land and property portfolio with a value over £100,000 and where indicated, the portfolio provides a rental income of over £10,000 a year1 entry
16 Aug 2024
Type of land/property: Residential property
Number of properties: 1
Location: London
Ownership details: Co-owned with partner
(Registered 31 July 2024)
8. Miscellaneous2 entries
08 Oct 2025
Central Bedfordshire Councillor, (unpaid since 31 July 2024 and previously registered under Category 1)
(Registered 31 July 2024; updated 18 September 2025)
16 Aug 2024
Unpaid Director of Swallow Place Management Company Limited.
(Registered 31 July 2024)
H · Ward results
Most recent winning councillor in each ward — 11 wards, 23 councillor seats.
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Votes | Election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ampthill | Gary Summerfield | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 1,513 | 04 May 2023 |
| Ampthill | Mark Andrew Smith | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 1,923 | 04 May 2023 |
| Ampthill | Susan Heather Clinch | Green Party of England and Wales | 1,330 | 04 May 2023 |
| Aspley Woburn | John Michael Baker | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 1,844 | 04 May 2023 |
| Barton Le Clay Silsoe | Anna French | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 882 | 04 May 2023 |
| Barton Le Clay Silsoe | Liz Childs | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 879 | 04 May 2023 |
| Cauldwell | Abu Sultan | Labour Party | 1,137 | 04 May 2023 |
| Cauldwell | Fouzia Zamir Atiq | Labour Party | 1,331 | 04 May 2023 |
| Cauldwell | Harish Thapar | Labour Party | 1,127 | 04 May 2023 |
| Cranfield Marston Moretaine | Robert William Morris | Conservative and Unionist Party | 984 | 04 May 2023 |
| Cranfield Marston Moretaine | Saverio Bongo | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 1,312 | 04 May 2023 |
| Cranfield Marston Moretaine | Sue Clark | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,406 | 04 May 2023 |
| Flitwick | Gareth Mackey | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 2,248 | 04 May 2023 |
| Flitwick | Heather Jane Townsend | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 1,785 | 04 May 2023 |
| Flitwick | Ian David Adams | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,138 | 04 May 2023 |
| Houghton Conquest Haynes | Bec Hares | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 628 | 04 May 2023 |
| Meppershall Shillington | Blake Stephenson | Conservative and Unionist Party | 778 | 04 May 2023 |
| Toddington | Gary Purser | Conservative and Unionist Party | 716 | 04 May 2023 |
| Toddington | Mary Elizabeth Walsh | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 1,418 | 04 May 2023 |
| Westoning Flitton Greenfield | James Gerrard Jamieson | Conservative and Unionist Party | 793 | 04 May 2023 |
| Wixams Wilstead | Andrea Spice | Conservative and Unionist Party | 969 | 04 May 2023 |
| Wixams Wilstead | Graeme Coombes | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,307 | 04 May 2023 |
| Wixams Wilstead | Marc Jonathan Frost | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,129 | 04 May 2023 |
I · Demographics
| Indicator | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 89,382 | Electorate 75,457 (2024) |
| Median age | 40 | years |
| Degree-educated | 37.3% | level 4 or above |
| Ethnicity (White) | 88.8% | 2021 Census ethnic group |
| Owner-occupied | 76.5% | households |
| Private-rented | 11.8% | households |
| Social-rented | 11.6% | households |
| Employment rate | 64.3% | 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.