North West Essex.

As Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch voted in April to refer Prime Minister Starmer to the Privileges Committee over allegations he misled Parliament on Peter Mandelson's appointment -- a high-profile opposition move that reflects her role as the government's chief parliamentary challenger. She has backed the Lords' positions on both the Pension Schemes Bill and the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill against the government, and supported the opposition's stance on North Sea oil and gas licences, a position that drew criticism from opponents who called it a "dangerous fantasy" unlikely to lower energy bills. Her voting participation stands at just 30% -- well below the Commons average -- though her role as party leader, which involves significant commitments outside the chamber, is the relevant context.

Her 476 contributions across 88 debates show a genuinely active parliamentary presence when she does appear, concentrated on the economy, defence, cost-of-living and health. Her stance profile reflects orthodox Conservative positioning: 100% aligned on pro-business votes, 89% against tax increases, and 0% aligned with progressive taxation. She sits noticeably further from the centre on climate action than her own party average -- 13% versus 39% -- and deviates in the opposite direction on local democracy, scoring 37 percentage points above Conservative colleagues.

News coverage over the past 90 days is broadly neutral overall, though two stories stand out. She claimed £2,700 a month in expenses to rent a six-bedroom Essex farmhouse, drawing criticism during the cost-of-living squeeze. She also opened a new terminal at Stansted Airport and pledged continued constituency casework -- positive signals for North West Essex residents. Internal Conservative polling, tracked by ConservativeHome, rates her performance highly among party members. No committee memberships are recorded.