Torbay / data
Steve Darling · Liberal Democrats · sitting since 04 Jul 2024 · every division, speech and committee appearance.
Since election
659days
from 04 Jul 2024
Divisions
342
of 504 possible
Attendance
68%
162 absent / paired
Whip alignment
98%
vs party majority
Speeches
350
138 debates
Written Qs
553
542 answered
Committees
1
memberships
Expenses
£235k paid
FY 2024–2025 · 200 claims
Interests
5
5 categories
A · Overview
Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted — engagement only, not direction.
| Issue | Volume | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Taxation | 72 | |
| Economy | 55 | |
| Crime & Policing | 34 | |
| Employment | 28 | |
| Education | 27 | |
| Welfare and Benefits | 23 | |
| Constitution and Democracy | 21 | |
| Pensions | 17 |
Speech topics
Words spoken, by topic. Source: Hansard.
| Topic | Debates | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Economy Jobs | 62 | 20,123 |
| Fiscal Policy | 45 | 17,155 |
| Social Care | 41 | 15,120 |
| Labour Market | 27 | 10,039 |
| Local Government | 26 | 6,008 |
| Cost Of Living | 17 | 4,100 |
| Health | 16 | 3,995 |
| Crime | 12 | 2,417 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 20 Jun 2025 | Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Third ReadingMPs voted on the Third Reading of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill — the final Commons vote on whether to pass the assisted dyin… | Free vote | No |
| 20 Jun 2025 | Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Amendment 12Vote on whether to add a provision to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill ensuring that if an independent doctor dies or becomes to… | Free vote | Aye |
C · Speeches
| Date | Contribution | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Apr 2026 | Pension Schemes BillThe Liberal Democrats broadly support the proposals before us in the Bill as a whole. I know from conversations with residents in Torbay that there are some challenges within the p… Fiscal PolicyEconomy JobsLabour Market | 405 |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Work and Pensions Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1845)What you just shared was really inspiring; thank you for all your work in this area. Understanding future skills need is a leading light in your world. The Government have made sig… | 65 |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Work and Pensions Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1845)This is the main question I want to explore with you. Clearly, as John as alluded to, you do not have a dedicated element focusing on youth and getting young people into work, so y… | 108 |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Work and Pensions Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1845)You have said warm words about it. How do you evidence that? Is it set within people’s targets in your organisation and their personal priorities? Is it set in the priorities of yo… | 54 |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Work and Pensions Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1845)Is there anything we could learn from similar economies in Europe, Canada or Australia in terms of boosting funding appropriately? | 20 |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Work and Pensions Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1845)That would be really helpful. Would you recommend that the Government’s pivot towards the lower end is a short-term move for two to three years, to try to tackle the NEETs challeng… | 67 |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Work and Pensions Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1845)Before I go to my main question, I want to understand whether you are alive to a ticking time bomb that I am concerned about: the doubling in the number of youngsters who are now e… | 55 |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Work and Pensions Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1845)I await it with interest. | 5 |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Work and Pensions Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1845)Is the evidence that you have shared publicly available, or can you point us towards it? | 16 |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Work and Pensions Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1845)Are you considering ensuring there is a pipeline of opportunities for skills training? Are you at that stage yet, or is it just over the horizon? Equally, have you undertaken any a… | 54 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Draft Major Sporting Events (Income Tax Exemption) (Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games) Regulations 2026It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Alec. Although my constituency is almost as far as it possible to get from Glasgow, I know that my constituents will enjoy th… Fiscal PolicyCulture CommunityEconomy Jobs | 104 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Draft Capital Requirements Regulation (Market Risk Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026
Draft Credit Institutions and Investment Firms (Miscellaneous Definitions) (Amendment) Regulations 2026It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mrs Hobhouse. The Liberal Democrats broadly welcome the draft regulations, but I wish to build on what the shadow Minister allude… Economy JobsFiscal Policy | 81 |
| 15 Apr 2026 | Pension Schemes BillFor many people, a pension is their second largest investment, after their home, but we must bear in mind that many others can only dream of having a private pension, as they face … Fiscal PolicyEconomy JobsSocial Care | 578 |
| 13 Apr 2026 | North Atlantic Submarine ActivityWith the Russian navy now escorting shadow fleet vessels down through the English channel, could a mitigation or a blocker for interdicting one of those vessels be a naval vessel w… DefenceEnergy | 54 |
| 25 Mar 2026 | Proposed Visitor LevyIt is important to reflect that in the United Kingdom tourists face a VAT rate of 20% on their spend, whereas in Germany it is only 7% and in Spain, France and Italy it is 10%. Doe… Economy JobsFiscal PolicyLocal Government | 74 |
D · Written questions
Top departments
| Department | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Health and Social Care | 124 | 22.4% |
| Department for Work and Pensions | 114 | 20.6% |
| Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | 59 | 10.7% |
| Department for Education | 58 | 10.5% |
| Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | 34 | 6.1% |
| Treasury | 32 | 5.8% |
| Home Office | 25 | 4.5% |
| Department for Transport | 18 | 3.3% |
Most recent
| Date | Department | Question | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Apr 2026 | Department for Energy Security and Net Zero | To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of artificial intelligence on supporting lower energy consumption and access to lower tariffs for low-income households. | Pending |
| 23 Apr 2026 | Department for Work and Pensions | To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, (a.) if he will review the scope of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement to ensure it does not create a ceiling at Levels 4–6; (b.) what consideration has been given to including Level 7 pro… | Pending |
| 23 Apr 2026 | Department for Business and Trade | To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, (a) what action the Government is taking to address skills shortages in small and medium sized enterprises; (b) what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his Departme… | Pending |
| 23 Apr 2026 | Department for Work and Pensions | To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of age restrictions on Level 7 apprenticeships on (i.) the future skills needs of employers; (ii.) on learners both currently and in th… | Pending |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which NHS Trusts are currently seeking redundancies from clinical staff. | Pending |
| 20 Apr 2026 | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will provide guidance for combined county authorities on the next steps to transition to mayoral authorities. | Pending |
| 20 Apr 2026 | Department for Business and Trade | To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what progress he has made on the review into market access for small breweries announced in the Autumn Budget 2024. | Pending |
| 15 Apr 2026 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to conduct a socio-economic impact assessment of the impact of the three-fish recreational pollack bag limit on the recreational charter boat sector. | Pending |
| 15 Apr 2026 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to (a) continue and (b) expand data collection in the pollack fishery in the (i) commercial and (ii) recreational sectors. | Pending |
| 15 Apr 2026 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to provide financial compensation to the recreational charter boat sector following the implementation of the three-fish recreational pollack bag limi… | Pending |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Department for Transport | To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when her Department expects to publish the findings of the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Higher Penalty Charge Notice trial; and whether she will make a statement on the timetable for repor… | Pending |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how the Government is assessing the financial sustainability of the British Council over the next 3 years; and what metrics or criteria are being used in that… | Answered |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment the Government has made of the principal financial pressures facing the British Council; and what the main drivers of those pressures are. | Answered |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to support the British Council in addressing identified financial pressures; and what further assistance is under considera… | Answered |
| 10 Apr 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 support prisoners with long term dependency on drugs or alcohol with the management of withdrawal of drugs and alcohol. | Answered |
E · Committees
| Committee | Role | House | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Work and Pensions 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 | 147 | 26,156 | 11.1% |
| Accommodation | 22 | 21,118 | 9.0% |
| Staffing | 14 | 178,833 | 76.0% |
| MP Travel | 0 | 4,546 | 1.9% |
| Staff Travel | 0 | 4,363 | 1.9% |
| Dependant Travel | 0 | 203 | 0.1% |
Top itemised cost types
| Cost type | Category | Claims | Paid (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | Accommodation | 9 | 19,910 |
| Rent | Office Costs | 8 | 9,633 |
| Stationery & printing | Office Costs | 73 | 6,064 |
| Pooled staffing services | Staffing | 1 | 4,900 |
| Equipment - purchase | Office Costs | 12 | 3,559 |
| Software & applications | Office Costs | 3 | 1,967 |
| Advertising and contact cards | Office Costs | 6 | 1,565 |
| Business rates | Office Costs | 1 | 1,341 |
| Council tax | Accommodation | 5 | 728 |
| Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | Office Costs | 22 | 710 |
| Utilities | Accommodation | 8 | 480 |
| Training - staff | Office Costs | 1 | 250 |
Most recent
| Date | Category | Description | Paid (£) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 03 Jul 2025 | Staffing Pooled staffing services | Parliamentary Support Team (Liberal Democrat) | 4,900 | Paid |
| 07 May 2025 | Office Costs Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Landline | 5 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Rent | 2024-25 [***] rent pro-rata | -19 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Rent | 2024-25 [***] rent pro-rata | -1,690 | Paid |
| 28 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Software & applications | BUFFER PLAN [200011725-8049] | 231 | Paid |
| 28 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Advertising and contact cards | VISTAPRINT [200011725-8048] | 49 | Paid |
| 27 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Utilities | Electricity | 46 | Paid |
| 27 Mar 2025 | Staffing Volunteer - agreed arrangement costs | Subsistence | 5 | Paid |
| 26 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | [200011725-10202] | 30 | Paid |
| 25 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Rent | Rent | 2,400 | Paid |
| 21 Mar 2025 | Staffing Volunteer - agreed arrangement costs | Subsistence | 5 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 915 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 2 | Paid |
| 19 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Mobile telephone - contract & usage | mobile phone contract | 36 | Paid |
| 19 Mar 2025 | Staffing Volunteer - agreed arrangement costs | Subsistence | 7 | Paid |
| 19 Mar 2025 | Staffing Volunteer - agreed arrangement costs | Subsistence | 7 | Paid |
| 19 Mar 2025 | Staffing Volunteer - agreed arrangement costs | Subsistence | 6 | Paid |
| 18 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Newspapers, journals, magazines | REACH PUBLISHING SERVI [200011725-7192] | 156 | Paid |
| 18 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Sundries | 61 | Paid |
| 17 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Advertising and contact cards | AGA PRINT LTD [200011725-6220] | 264 | 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.
2. (a) Support linked to an MP but received by a local party organisation or indirectly via a central party organisation1 entry
10 Mar 2026
Name of donor: Jerome Betts
Address of donor: private
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: £2,500
Donor status: individual
(Registered 3 March 2026)
2. (b) Any other support not included in Category 2(a)1 entry
04 Nov 2025
Name of donor: Jerome Betts
Address of donor: private
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: £2,000
Date received: 19 September 2025
Date accepted: 15 October 2025
Donor status: individual
(Registered 23 October 2025)
3. Gifts, benefits and hospitality from UK sources1 entry
26 Sept 2025
Name of donor: National Liberal Club
Address of donor: 1 Whitehall Place, London SW1A 2HE
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: Honorary membership of the National Liberal Club as newly elected MP from September 2024 until December 2025, value £1,552.86
Date received: 15 August 2024
Date accepted: 2 September 2024
Donor status: company, registration 01355034
(Registered 23 September 2024)
4. Visits outside the UK1 entry
14 Apr 2026
Name of donor: UK Friends of Ukraine
Address of donor: 62 Lots Road, London SW10 0DQ
Estimate of the probable value (or amount of any donation): Meals and hospitality (£127.91), excursion (£46.15) and rail transfers (£223.94), value £398
Destination of visit: Ukraine (Kyiv, Odessa, Pripyat, Chisinau (Moldova))
Dates of visit: 19 February 2026 to 25 February 2026
Purpose of visit: Attend the Yalta European Strategy Conference, fostering good relations between UK and Ukraine MPs.
(Registered 27 March 2026)
8. Miscellaneous1 entry
16 Aug 2024
Member of Torquay Town Deal Board. This is an unpaid role.
Date interest arose: 2 August 2024
(Registered 2 August 2024)
H · Ward results
Most recent winning councillor in each ward — 11 wards, 25 councillor seats.
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Votes | Election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barton With Watcombe | Mike Fox | Liberal Democrats | 1,121 | 04 May 2023 |
| Barton With Watcombe | Steve Darling | Liberal Democrats | 1,247 | 04 May 2023 |
| Barton With Watcombe | Swithin Long | Liberal Democrats | 1,070 | 04 May 2023 |
| Clifton With Maidenway | Cat Johns | Liberal Democrats | 982 | 04 May 2023 |
| Clifton With Maidenway | Maggi Douglas-Dunbar | Liberal Democrats | 1,004 | 04 May 2023 |
| Cockington With Chelston | Mark Anthony Thomas Spacagna | Conservative and Unionist Party | 744 | 04 May 2023 |
| Cockington With Chelston | Nicole Amil | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 789 | 04 May 2023 |
| Ellacombe | Jermaine Atiya-Alla | Liberal Democrats | 752 | 04 May 2023 |
| Ellacombe | Yannis Matthew Nicolaou | Liberal Democrats | 712 | 04 May 2023 |
| Goodrington With Roselands | Hayley Jeanette Tranter | Conservative and Unionist Party | 843 | 04 May 2023 |
| Goodrington With Roselands | John Fellows | Conservative and Unionist Party | 942 | 04 May 2023 |
| Preston | Barbara Lewis | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,567 | 04 May 2023 |
| Preston | Chris Lewis | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,586 | 04 May 2023 |
| Preston | David Thomas | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,442 | 04 May 2023 |
| Roundham With Hyde | Chris Carter | Liberal Democrats | 747 | 04 May 2023 |
| Roundham With Hyde | Nigel John Penny | Liberal Democrats | 668 | 04 May 2023 |
| Shiphay | Darren John Cowell | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 667 | 04 May 2023 |
| Shiphay | Katya Maddison | Conservative and Unionist Party | 583 | 04 May 2023 |
| St Marychurch | George Andrew Darling | Liberal Democrats | 1,568 | 04 May 2023 |
| St Marychurch | Kelly Louise Stephanie Harvey | Liberal Democrats | 1,537 | 04 May 2023 |
| St Marychurch | Ras Virdee | Liberal Democrats | 1,374 | 04 May 2023 |
| Tormohun | Cordelia Louise Law | Liberal Democrats | 943 | 04 May 2023 |
| Tormohun | Mandy Darling | Liberal Democrats | 1,087 | 04 May 2023 |
| Tormohun | Nick Pentney | Liberal Democrats | 953 | 04 May 2023 |
| Wellswood | Hazel Margaret Foster | Conservative and Unionist Party | 938 | 06 Jun 2024 |
I · Demographics
| Indicator | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 102,926 | Electorate 76,185 (2024) |
| Median age | 48 | years |
| Degree-educated | 25.3% | level 4 or above |
| Ethnicity (White) | 95.7% | 2021 Census ethnic group |
| Owner-occupied | 62.5% | households |
| Private-rented | 29.7% | households |
| Social-rented | 7.7% | households |
| Employment rate | 51.3% | 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.