North Northumberland / data
David Smith · Labour 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
96%
vs party majority
Speeches
144
58 debates
Written Qs
139
136 answered
Committees
1
memberships
Expenses
£183k paid
FY 2024–2025 · 194 claims
Interests
5
2 categories
A · Overview
Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted — engagement only, not direction.
| Issue | Volume | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Economy | 72 | |
| Taxation | 62 | |
| Employment | 44 | |
| Welfare and Benefits | 29 | |
| Crime & Policing | 26 | |
| Education | 24 | |
| Housing | 23 | |
| Constitution and Democracy | 19 |
Speech topics
Words spoken, by topic. Source: Hansard.
| Topic | Debates | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Defence | 16 | 7,296 |
| Culture Community | 6 | 5,662 |
| Other | 7 | 4,256 |
| Economy Jobs | 10 | 3,000 |
| Local Government | 12 | 2,696 |
| Crime | 9 | 2,370 |
| Health | 8 | 2,110 |
| Fiscal Policy | 5 | 1,848 |
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 106Vote on New Clause 106, which sought to require women to have an in-person medical consultation before receiving abortion medication, as a s… | Rebelled | Aye |
| 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 |
| 20 Jun 2025 | Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: New Clause 16A procedural vote on whether to allow New Clause 16 to be formally considered as part of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at Rep… | Free vote | Aye |
C · Speeches
| Date | Contribution | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Apr 2026 | Government Procurement StrategyI warmly welcome the Minister’s statement. For many years it has seemed to me that while our European partners have been able to have significant sovereign procurement programmes, … Economy JobsTechnologyDefence | 108 |
| 25 Mar 2026 | Northern Ireland Affairs Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1341)Just to finish, in that sense—and you have partly answered some of this—what role do you see the board having, or do you envisage, such that another breach could not happen again? … | 49 |
| 25 Mar 2026 | Northern Ireland Affairs Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1341)Again, there is a distinction between the operation and the oversight. Clearly, from an oversight and strategic perspective, you must take an interest, as the board, in the overarc… | 32 |
| 25 Mar 2026 | Northern Ireland Affairs Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1341)Good morning, gents. It is good to have you back with us. I want to turn our attention to something that you mentioned in your answers: normalisation. I lived in Belfast between 20… | 284 |
| 25 Mar 2026 | Northern Ireland Affairs Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1341)Presumably you are cross-checking the systems that it has. Sorry, I was about to finish, but you have made me interested again. | 22 |
| 25 Mar 2026 | Northern Ireland Affairs Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1341)To acknowledge the point on legacy that Brendan was making, that other police forces are not required to pay for historical legacy issues, this may be a slightly unfair question, b… | 87 |
| 25 Mar 2026 | Northern Ireland Affairs Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1341)You do not know how long after the publication— | 9 |
| 25 Mar 2026 | Northern Ireland Affairs Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1341)Yes or no is fine. | 5 |
| 25 Mar 2026 | Northern Ireland Affairs Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1341)Good morning to everyone. It seems like 2023 was a particularly difficult year for the PSNI and the Policing Board. One key issue that made national headlines across the UK was the… | 77 |
| 25 Mar 2026 | Northern Ireland Affairs Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1341)Why? | 1 |
| 25 Mar 2026 | Northern Ireland Affairs Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1341)Sorry to interrupt, Sinead. As you await those recommendations—and bear in mind that the breach itself was late 2023—do you feel you have the confidence, or not, that it is still t… | 129 |
| 25 Mar 2026 | Northern Ireland Affairs Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1341)If I may, I have one final question, which is a bit of a proposition. It is about normalisation. I am really interested in your view on it. This is slightly wider, taking one step … | 204 |
| 24 Mar 2026 | DefenceWill the hon. Gentleman give way? DefenceFiscal PolicyEconomy Jobs | 6 |
| 24 Mar 2026 | DefenceThere are many things in the hon. Gentleman’s speech that I agree with, but as someone who grew up on the Clyde, does he welcomes the naval shipbuilding on the Clyde and the sales … DefenceFiscal PolicyEconomy Jobs | 57 |
| 23 Mar 2026 | Puberty Blockers Clinical TrialIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Mundell. Any debate in which we are talking about the health and wellbeing of children and young people requires us all to be mea… Health | 331 |
D · Written questions
Top departments
| Department | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Health and Social Care | 24 | 17.3% |
| Department for Transport | 15 | 10.8% |
| Department for Education | 13 | 9.4% |
| Department for Energy Security and Net Zero | 13 | 9.4% |
| Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | 13 | 9.4% |
| Treasury | 12 | 8.6% |
| Department for Work and Pensions | 10 | 7.2% |
| Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | 10 | 7.2% |
Most recent
| Date | Department | Question | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Apr 2026 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of the Treasury expanding the FCA’s remit to include in-person banking services. | Pending |
| 15 Apr 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 adequacy of progress on the establishment of a specialised NHS service for people with very severe Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndro… | Pending |
| 15 Apr 2026 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of voluntary industry commitments to deliver banking hubs on adequate assurance of long term access to in person banking services. | Pending |
| 13 Apr 2026 | Department for Energy Security and Net Zero | To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that energy development project special purpose vehicles cover the financial liability of decommissioning. | Answered |
| 10 Apr 2026 | Department for Business and Trade | To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Government response to the Future of Post Office Green Paper, whether her Department plans to facilitate discussions on potential collaboration between the Post Off… | Answered |
| 26 Mar 2026 | Department for Education | To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to help ensure that those currently repaying Plan 2 student loans are able to pay off the initial capital owed and return to solvency. | Answered |
| 26 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 merits of informing parents/guardians of the estimated wait time for an autism or ADHD assessment upon application. | Answered |
| 25 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 on children's mental health of an expanded play therapy offer in the NHS. | Answered |
| 24 Mar 2026 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing import restrictions on enriched cages for laying hens, pullets and breeder layers. | Answered |
| 23 Mar 2026 | Department for Education | To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what capital funding is available to increase the number of childcare places in settings that are already at capacity, including those operating within primary schools. | Answered |
| 13 Mar 2026 | Department for Transport | To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that homeowners near railway lines being (a) created and (b) reopened are informed of the potential impact of new electrification or rail infras… | Answered |
| 13 Mar 2026 | Department for Transport | To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of housing repairs that require contributions from Network Rail before proceeding on financial costs to homeowners. | Answered |
| 03 Mar 2026 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress her Department has made in amending the rules on Gift Aid. | Answered |
| 02 Mar 2026 | Department for Work and Pensions | To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that recent changes to the Motability Scheme, including the removal of VAT zero-rating on advance payments and the introduction of Insurance… | Answered |
| 23 Feb 2026 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that local health authorities provide parents with clear information regarding expected waiting times for autism spectrum disorder… | Answered |
E · Committees
| Committee | Role | House | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Ireland Affairs 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 | 131 | 27,382 | 15.0% |
| Accommodation | 18 | 17,392 | 9.5% |
| Staffing | 17 | 118,588 | 64.8% |
| MP Travel | 0 | 9,829 | 5.4% |
| Staff Travel | 0 | 9,234 | 5.0% |
| Dependant Travel | 0 | 486 | 0.3% |
Top itemised cost types
| Cost type | Category | Claims | Paid (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | Accommodation | 6 | 12,195 |
| Equipment - purchase | Office Costs | 37 | 8,161 |
| Hotel - London | Accommodation | 7 | 4,332 |
| Maintenance, Redecorations & Repairs | Office Costs | 1 | 4,000 |
| Training - staff | Staffing | 15 | 3,661 |
| Pooled staffing services | Staffing | 1 | 3,000 |
| Stationery & printing | Office Costs | 45 | 2,568 |
| Software & applications | Office Costs | 2 | 2,040 |
| Utilities | Office Costs | 8 | 612 |
| Cleaning services | Office Costs | 14 | 604 |
| Training - MP | Office Costs | 2 | 601 |
| Council tax | Accommodation | 1 | 543 |
Most recent
| Date | Category | Description | Paid (£) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Utilities | Electricity | 111 | Paid |
| 04 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | Repayment of claim 60292733:1 | 0 | Repaid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | [200011725-8625] | 48 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | 14 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Rent | 2024-25 [***] rent pro-rata | -805 | Paid |
| 29 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | 48 | Paid |
| 24 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | 125 | Paid |
| 24 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Utilities | Water | 46 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 200 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 188 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 150 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Staffing Training - staff | Comms grid and delivery training [200011782-592] | 140 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Staffing Training - staff | comms grid and delivery training [200011782-593] | 140 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Staffing Training - staff | Comms grid and delivery training [200011782-595] | 140 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Staffing Training - staff | comms grid and delivery training [200011782-594] | 140 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Staffing Training - staff | Comms grid and delivery training [200011782-591] | 140 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 106 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 84 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Banner March 2025 | 42 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 27 | 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.
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
21 Nov 2025
Type of land/property: Residential property
Number of properties: 1
Location: Northumberland
Ownership details: Co-owned with a family member
Rental income: until 28 October 2024
Rental income details: The rental was paid to my family member
(Registered 15 July 2024; updated 16 October 2025)
8. Miscellaneous4 entries
25 Mar 2025
Formal Appointment by the Government as the UK Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief. This is an unpaid role.
Date interest arose: 27 February 2025
(Registered 28 February 2025)
03 Feb 2026
I was elected as Secretary of the Labour Rural Research Group (LRRG), a formally constituted group within the Labour Party focused on rural policy development and advocacy. This is an unpaid role. I work with the Exec to provide strategic direction and organisation for the group.
Date interest arose: 12 January 2026
(Registered 24 January 2026)
16 Jul 2025
Trustee, Together for the Common Good. This is an unpaid role.
Date interest ended: 23 January 2026
(Registered 15 July 2024; updated 24 January 2026)
18 Nov 2025
Director of Blue Labour Campaign Limited. This is an unpaid role.
Date interest arose: 22 October 2025
(Registered 7 November 2025)
H · Ward results
Most recent winning councillor in each ward — 18 wards, 19 councillor seats.
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Votes | Election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alnwick | Gordon Castle | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,834 | 06 May 2021 |
| Alnwick | Martin Philip Swinbank | Green Party of England and Wales | 1,671 | 06 May 2021 |
| Amble | Terry Clark | Labour Party | 635 | 06 May 2021 |
| Amble West With Warkworth | Jeff Watson | Conservative and Unionist Party | 766 | 06 May 2021 |
| Bamburgh | Guy Renner-Thompson | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,085 | 06 May 2021 |
| Berwick East | Georgina Emma Rowley Hill | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 934 | 06 May 2021 |
| Berwick North | Catherine Morag Seymour | Conservative and Unionist Party | 499 | 06 May 2021 |
| Berwick West With Ord | Elizabeth Isabel Hunter | Liberal Democrats | 410 | 06 May 2021 |
| Druridge Bay | Scott Dickinson | Labour Party | 870 | 06 May 2021 |
| Longhoughton | Wendy Pattison | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,011 | 06 May 2021 |
| Lynemouth | Liz Dunn | Labour Party | 739 | 06 May 2021 |
| Morpeth Kirkhill | Richard Watson Wearmouth | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,118 | 06 May 2021 |
| Morpeth North | David Lee Bawn | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,160 | 06 May 2021 |
| Morpeth Stobhill | John Ace Beynon | Conservative and Unionist Party | 835 | 06 May 2021 |
| Norham Islandshires | Colin Richard Hardy | Conservative and Unionist Party | 616 | 06 May 2021 |
| Pegswood | David James Towns | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,021 | 06 May 2021 |
| Rothbury | Steven Christopher Bridgett | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 1,987 | 06 May 2021 |
| Shilbottle | Trevor Norman Thorne | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,060 | 06 May 2021 |
| Wooler | Mark George Mather | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,231 | 06 May 2021 |
I · Demographics
| Indicator | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 90,228 | Electorate 74,190 (2024) |
| Median age | 52 | years |
| Degree-educated | 32.5% | level 4 or above |
| Ethnicity (White) | 98.2% | 2021 Census ethnic group |
| Owner-occupied | 65.6% | households |
| Private-rented | 17.5% | households |
| Social-rented | 16.9% | households |
| Employment rate | 49.7% | 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.