Southend West & Leigh / data
David Burton-Sampson · Labour Party · sitting since 04 Jul 2024 · every division, speech and committee appearance.
Since election
659days
from 04 Jul 2024
Divisions
440
of 504 possible
Attendance
87%
64 absent / paired
Whip alignment
99%
vs party majority
Speeches
195
73 debates
Written Qs
12
12 answered
Committees
1
memberships
Expenses
£192k paid
FY 2024–2025 · 124 claims
Interests
3
2 categories
A · Overview
Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted — engagement only, not direction.
| Issue | Volume | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Taxation | 96 | |
| Economy | 81 | |
| Crime & Policing | 45 | |
| Education | 39 | |
| Employment | 37 | |
| Constitution and Democracy | 26 | |
| Pensions | 21 | |
| Defence and Foreign Affairs | 21 |
Speech topics
Words spoken, by topic. Source: Hansard.
| Topic | Debates | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Social Care | 18 | 5,553 |
| Health | 15 | 5,513 |
| Economy Jobs | 20 | 3,315 |
| Culture Community | 12 | 3,161 |
| Crime | 8 | 2,275 |
| Local Government | 11 | 2,068 |
| Defence | 12 | 1,494 |
| Education | 3 | 1,007 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Jun 2025 | Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: New Clause 2Vote on New Clause 2 to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, debated alongside related amendments including provisions on guidance,… | Free vote | Aye |
| 13 Jun 2025 | Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Amendment (b) to New Clause 14Vote on whether to strengthen the advertising ban in the Assisted Dying Bill by requiring that any advertising restrictions also cover situa… | Free vote | Aye |
| 16 May 2025 | Closure motionA closure motion was voted on to end debate and force an immediate vote on the matter under discussion. Closure motions are a procedural too… | Free vote | No |
C · Speeches
| Date | Contribution | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 21 Apr 2026 | SS Richard Montgomery: MastsI thank my hon. Friend for bringing this debate forward. The SS Richard Montgomery is equally as visible from Southend, and my residents in Southend and Leigh on the other side of … TransportCulture CommunityDefence | 109 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Middle East: Economic UpdateAs my right hon. Friend mentioned, in 2022 Liz Truss launched a household energy support package that provided blanket support to every household, including the most well off. It w… EnergyEconomy JobsCost Of Living | 80 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | SS Richard Montgomery: Masts TransportCulture CommunityDefence | 0 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Business of the HouseUnder the former Conservative leader of Southend city council, who is now the leader of the Reform group, £4 million was budgeted for road and pothole resurfacing works, even thoug… DefenceLocal GovernmentHealth | 112 |
| 15 Apr 2026 | Women and Equalities Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1808)Ola, do you have anything to add to that? | 9 |
| 15 Apr 2026 | Women and Equalities Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1808)Is it pushing women out of wanting to get into comedy? | 11 |
| 15 Apr 2026 | Women and Equalities Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1808)Rachael, what steps are being taken to encourage more women to get into the live comedy sector? | 17 |
| 15 Apr 2026 | Women and Equalities Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1808)Nina, there is a perception that women are not funny and audiences enjoy male comedians more. Briefly, what impact does that have on female comedians or even aspiring female comedi… | 30 |
| 15 Apr 2026 | Women and Equalities Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1808)What about women from ethnic and religious minorities? How well do you think they are represented across the circuit? | 19 |
| 15 Apr 2026 | Women and Equalities Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1808)Are comedy club owners, bookers and promoters responsible for the lack of representation, or to what extent are they? Or is it all down to audience preference? | 27 |
| 15 Apr 2026 | Women and Equalities Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1808)I totally disagree with the perception that women are not funny because my favourite comedians are women, so there we go. As a comedy club founder and owner, to what extent are com… | 49 |
| 15 Apr 2026 | Women and Equalities Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1808)Nina, do you have any views on what drives the lack of representation? | 13 |
| 15 Apr 2026 | Women and Equalities Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1808)What do you think is driving this lack of representation? | 10 |
| 15 Apr 2026 | Women and Equalities Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1808)Thank you to all three of you for being here today. I am going to apologise now because I have to leave at five minutes to 3, which I am gutted about because I am really interested… | 79 |
| 15 Apr 2026 | Women and Equalities Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1808)Ola, would you say it is pushing women away from wanting to get into the comedy field? | 17 |
D · Written questions
Top departments
| Department | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Health and Social Care | 3 | 25.0% |
| Department for Education | 2 | 16.7% |
| Department for Business and Trade | 2 | 16.7% |
| Northern Ireland Office | 1 | 8.3% |
| Treasury | 1 | 8.3% |
| Women and Equalities | 1 | 8.3% |
| Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | 1 | 8.3% |
| Ministry of Justice | 1 | 8.3% |
Most recent
| Date | Department | Question | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Oct 2025 | Department for Education | To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to publish the Best Start centre funding allocations for local authorities. | Answered |
| 29 Aug 2025 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what consideration his Department has given to moving more migraine treatment into community settings. | Answered |
| 29 Aug 2025 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce stigma associated with migraine in workplaces and wider society. | Answered |
| 29 Aug 2025 | Department for Education | To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to ensure the continuation of Holiday Activity Funding. | Answered |
| 09 Jul 2025 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to review the adequacy of the current dog control legislation. | Answered |
| 02 Jun 2025 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions she has had with the insurance industry on potential changes to liability insurance premiums for businesses due to the Equality and Human Rights Commission's revised code of pr… | Answered |
| 02 Jun 2025 | Women and Equalities | To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recent estimate she has made of the cost to businesses of updating (a) IT and (b) HR systems to comply with the EHRC's proposed HR changes. | Answered |
| 21 May 2025 | Department for Business and Trade | To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when the tariff free period on Ukrainian (a) poultry and (b) eggs imports will end; and whether he plans to extend that agreement. | Answered |
| 25 Mar 2025 | Northern Ireland Office | To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking with the Northern Ireland Executive to help tackle violence against women and girls. | Answered |
| 13 Mar 2025 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) encourage the uptake and (a) increase the availability of lung cancer screenings. | Answered |
| 04 Mar 2025 | Department for Business and Trade | To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, what steps his Department is taking to reform Companies House. | Answered |
| 04 Mar 2025 | Ministry of Justice | To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to help reduce the backlog in small claims business cases. | Answered |
E · Committees
| Committee | Role | House | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women and Equalities 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 | 91 | 29,680 | 15.5% |
| Accommodation | 20 | 4,118 | 2.1% |
| MP Travel | 0 | 2,432 | 1.3% |
| Staff Travel | 0 | 1,138 | 0.6% |
| Staffing | 0 | 154,574 | 80.5% |
Top itemised cost types
| Cost type | Category | Claims | Paid (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintenance, Redecorations & Repairs | Office Costs | 2 | 9,307 |
| Hotel - London | Accommodation | 20 | 4,118 |
| Moving Fees | Office Costs | 1 | 3,942 |
| Equipment - purchase | Office Costs | 14 | 3,778 |
| Stationery & printing | Office Costs | 43 | 3,219 |
| Pooled staffing services | Office Costs | 1 | 3,000 |
| Rent | Office Costs | 3 | 2,937 |
| Software & applications | Office Costs | 4 | 1,706 |
| Advertising and contact cards | Office Costs | 3 | 469 |
| Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | Office Costs | 8 | 385 |
| Cleaning services | Office Costs | 2 | 318 |
| Utilities | Office Costs | 3 | 290 |
Most recent
| Date | Category | Description | Paid (£) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | XMA March 2025 | 292 | Paid |
| 11 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | XMA March 2025 | 205 | Paid |
| 11 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | XMA March 2025 | 205 | Paid |
| 11 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | XMA March 2025 | 205 | Paid |
| 11 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | XMA March 2025 | 167 | Paid |
| 11 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Utilities | Electricity | 61 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Cleaning services | Cleaning Services - March [200011803-387] | 216 | Paid |
| 28 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Waste disposal, confidential waste & rubbish collection | Biffa Waste Collection March 2025 [200011802-481] | 50 | Paid |
| 24 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Advertising and contact cards | AGA PRINT LTD [200011725-8326] | 397 | Paid |
| 23 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Hotel - London | [***][***][***] [200011725-9568] | 184 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Maintenance, Redecorations & Repairs | Office Fit Out final works invoice | 800 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 300 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 260 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 165 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 155 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 68 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 68 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 68 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 2 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 2 | 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.
3. Gifts, benefits and hospitality from UK sources1 entry
02 Dec 2025
Name of donor: UK Finance
Address of donor: 5th Floor, 1 Angel Court, London EC2R 7HJ
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: Invitation to the UK Finance Annual Dinner 2025 in my capacity as Chair of the APPG for Open Banking and Payments, value £474
Date received: 18 November 2025
Date accepted: 18 November 2025
Donor status: company, registration 10250295
(Registered 24 November 2025)
7. (i) Shareholdings: over 15% of issued share capital2 entries
16 Aug 2024
Name of company or organisation: DBS Financial Solutions Ltd
Held jointly with or on behalf of: With my Civil Partner
(Registered 11 July 2024)
16 Aug 2024
Name of company or organisation: DBS Rainbow Consultancy Ltd
Nature of business: Dormant consultancy company
Held jointly with or on behalf of: With Civil Partner
(Registered 11 July 2024)
H · Ward results
Most recent winning councillor in each ward — 10 wards, 10 councillor seats.
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Votes | Election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belfairs | Jack Anthony Warren | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,006 | 02 May 2024 |
| Blenheim Park | Shahid Nadeem | Labour Party | 1,089 | 02 May 2024 |
| Chalkwell | James Ian Courtenay | Conservative and Unionist Party | 975 | 02 May 2024 |
| Eastwood Park | Dave Poulton | Liberal Democrats | 1,419 | 02 May 2024 |
| Leigh | Stuart Allen | Green Party of England and Wales | 1,725 | 02 May 2024 |
| Prittlewell | David Alexander Garston | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,032 | 02 May 2024 |
| St Laurence | Madison Faulkner-Hatt | Labour Party | 1,164 | 02 May 2024 |
| St Lukes | Jane Norman | Labour Party | 911 | 02 May 2024 |
| West Leigh | Lesley Salter | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,086 | 02 May 2024 |
| Westborough | Pamela Kinsella | Labour Party | 1,063 | 02 May 2024 |
I · Demographics
| Indicator | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 102,829 | Electorate 75,154 (2024) |
| Median age | 42 | years |
| Degree-educated | 28.0% | level 4 or above |
| Ethnicity (White) | 89.0% | 2021 Census ethnic group |
| Owner-occupied | 69.3% | households |
| Private-rented | 23.1% | households |
| Social-rented | 7.6% | households |
| Employment rate | 58.3% | 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.