Whitehaven & Workington / data
Josh MacAlister · Labour Party · sitting since 04 Jul 2024 · every division, speech and committee appearance.
Since election
659days
from 04 Jul 2024
Divisions
431
of 504 possible
Attendance
86%
73 absent / paired
Whip alignment
100%
vs party majority
Speeches
244
52 debates
Written Qs
41
41 answered
Committees
1
memberships
Expenses
£224k paid
FY 2024–2025 · 154 claims
Interests
5
3 categories
A · Overview
Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted — engagement only, not direction.
| Issue | Volume | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Taxation | 93 | |
| Economy | 85 | |
| Employment | 48 | |
| Education | 41 | |
| Crime & Policing | 36 | |
| Welfare and Benefits | 28 | |
| Housing | 24 | |
| Constitution and Democracy | 23 |
Speech topics
Words spoken, by topic. Source: Hansard.
| Topic | Debates | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Education | 32 | 19,326 |
| Social Care | 20 | 16,095 |
| Local Government | 12 | 11,730 |
| Health | 6 | 5,866 |
| Fiscal Policy | 7 | 4,215 |
| Cost Of Living | 7 | 3,930 |
| Economy Jobs | 10 | 3,640 |
| Labour Market | 8 | 2,324 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Apr 2026 | Young Adult Carers: Education and TrainingIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Harris. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Harlow (Chris Vince) for securing this debate, the second Westminster Hall debate … EducationSocial CareLabour Market | 989 |
| 23 Apr 2026 | Young Adult Carers: Education and TrainingMy hon. Friend the Member for Harlow will do a much better job of convincing people than anyone else in this room, so I will gladly make sure that he is the focus of attention in t… EducationSocial CareLabour Market | 219 |
| 20 Apr 2026 | ApprenticeshipsThe Conservatives’ new deal is funded by cutting opportunities in higher education. The Tory plan—[Interruption.] The Opposition Front Benchers’ proposal— EducationEconomy JobsLabour Market | 20 |
| 20 Apr 2026 | FosteringWe are undertaking a once-in-a-generation reform of children’s social care, which includes ensuring that children in care are surrounded by enduring, loving relationships close to … Social CareLocal Government | 61 |
| 20 Apr 2026 | Cost of Living: StudentsWe know that students and graduates have been left facing the sharp end of the cost of living crisis. That is why we are making the system fairer for students, graduates and taxpay… Cost Of LivingEducationFiscal Policy | 107 |
| 20 Apr 2026 | Cost of Living: StudentsMy hon. Friend is a vocal champion for higher education and students in her constituency. To help disadvantaged students, we are future-proofing maintenance loans by increasing the… Cost Of LivingEducationFiscal Policy | 51 |
| 20 Apr 2026 | Higher Education: Freedom of SpeechAs I have said, at the moment students have a route of redress through the Office for Students. The Government have been focused on pulling together an enforceable regime, and it i… Education | 54 |
| 20 Apr 2026 | School Rebuilding ProgrammeThe RAAC crisis here in England highlighted wider issues with the legacy of the school estate that England is now having to reckon with. I believe that we are now on top of that is… Education | 99 |
| 20 Apr 2026 | FosteringYes. The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to highlight both of those issues. We are expanding and funding the Mockingbird programme so that foster carers can get wider, family ne… Social CareLocal Government | 102 |
| 20 Apr 2026 | FosteringMy hon. Friend is right to highlight that we need to take action on a whole range of fronts to transform our fostering system, so that we can expand it and retain the brilliant fos… Social CareLocal Government | 145 |
| 20 Apr 2026 | School Rebuilding ProgrammeWe are fixing crumbling schools and colleges, which are a direct consequence of under-investment in our country. Labour is investing £20 billion in the school rebuilding programme,… Education | 68 |
| 20 Apr 2026 | School Rebuilding ProgrammeI thank my hon. Friend for drawing the House’s attention to Simone, who is sitting in the Gallery. She is a wonderful Cumbrian, and a fantastic example of the excellence of school … Education | 121 |
| 20 Apr 2026 | Cost of Living: StudentsI like the hon. Member, but unfortunately his question was written before I gave my earlier answer. The Institute for Fiscal Studies says that the Tory student loans plan would cos… Cost Of LivingEducationFiscal Policy | 45 |
| 20 Apr 2026 | Cost of Living: StudentsWe take this issue extremely seriously, but the description given by the right hon. and learned Member is of her own legacy in government as a Conservative politician. She is now a… Cost Of LivingEducationFiscal Policy | 73 |
| 20 Apr 2026 | Higher Education: Freedom of SpeechThe OfS system in place at the moment allows for students to complain about breaches of freedom of speech. The written statement laid this morning by my right hon. Friend the Secre… Education | 69 |
D · Written questions
Top departments
| Department | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Department for Energy Security and Net Zero | 17 | 41.5% |
| Department of Health and Social Care | 4 | 9.8% |
| Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | 3 | 7.3% |
| Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | 3 | 7.3% |
| Department for Culture, Media and Sport | 2 | 4.9% |
| Department for Transport | 2 | 4.9% |
| Home Office | 1 | 2.4% |
| Ministry of Defence | 1 | 2.4% |
Most recent
| Date | Department | Question | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08 Jul 2025 | Department for Energy Security and Net Zero | To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when his Department plans to publish its conclusions on the recommended (a) scales and (b) durations of Community Benefit Fund payments for (i) solar farms and (ii) associated… | Answered |
| 10 Jun 2025 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support farmers in the north of England reliant on cross-border stock movements following the extension of the bluetongue virus re… | Answered |
| 03 Jun 2025 | Wales Office | To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support the steel industry in Wales. | Answered |
| 16 May 2025 | Department for Culture, Media and Sport | To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to invest in tennis facilities following the end of the Park Tennis Project. | Answered |
| 05 Feb 2025 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the provision of mental health services in rural areas. | Answered |
| 15 Jan 2025 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether (a) his Department and (b) each of its arms length bodies offers employees who are foster carers (i) flexible working, (ii) paid time off for (A) training and (B) settling a… | Answered |
| 15 Jan 2025 | Department for Business and Trade | To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether (a) his Department and (b) each of its arms length bodies offers employees who are foster carers (i) flexible working, (ii) paid time off for (A) training and (B) settling a new… | Answered |
| 15 Jan 2025 | Department for Culture, Media and Sport | To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether (a) her Department and (b) each of its arms length bodies offers employees who are foster carers (i) flexible working, (ii) paid time off for (A) training and (B) settling… | Answered |
| 15 Jan 2025 | Department for Transport | To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether (a) her Department and (b) each of its arms length bodies offers employees who are foster carers (i) flexible working, (ii) paid time off for (A) training and (B) settling a new child int… | Answered |
| 15 Jan 2025 | Cabinet Office | To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Prime Minister's Office offers employees who are foster carers (a) flexible working, (b) paid time off for (i) training and (ii) settling a new child into their home and (c) other supp… | Answered |
| 15 Jan 2025 | Department for Science, Innovation and Technology | To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether (a) his Department and (b) each of its arms length bodies offers employees who are foster carers (i) flexible working, (ii) paid time off for (A) training and (B)… | Answered |
| 15 Jan 2025 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether (a) his Department and (b) each of its arms length bodies offers employees who are foster carers (i) flexible working, (ii) paid time off for (A) training and (B) settling a new child into… | Answered |
| 15 Jan 2025 | Department for Energy Security and Net Zero | To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether (a) his Department and (b) each of its arms length bodies offers employees who are foster carers (i) flexible working, (ii) paid time off for (A) training and (B) settl… | Answered |
| 15 Jan 2025 | Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether (a) his Department and (b) each of its arms length bodies offers employees who are foster carers (i) flexible working, (ii) paid time off for (A) train… | Answered |
| 15 Jan 2025 | Department for Work and Pensions | To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether (a) her Department and (b) each of its arms length bodies offers employees who are foster carers (i) flexible working, (ii) paid time off for (A) training and (B) settling a new c… | Answered |
E · Committees
| Committee | Role | House | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy Security and Net Zero CommitteeSelect | Member | Commons | 21 Oct 2024 | 17 Mar 2025 |
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 | 124 | 29,904 | 13.4% |
| Accommodation | 9 | 17,333 | 7.8% |
| Staffing | 8 | 151,695 | 67.9% |
| MP Travel | 0 | 6,097 | 2.7% |
| Staff Travel | 0 | 18,504 | 8.3% |
Top itemised cost types
| Cost type | Category | Claims | Paid (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | Accommodation | 8 | 16,834 |
| Bought-in services | Staffing | 1 | 9,000 |
| Equipment - purchase | Office Costs | 14 | 8,531 |
| Rent | Office Costs | 9 | 5,438 |
| Stationery & printing | Office Costs | 51 | 4,339 |
| Training - staff | Staffing | 7 | 3,400 |
| Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | Office Costs | 14 | 3,004 |
| Software & applications | Office Costs | 2 | 2,040 |
| Maintenance, Redecorations & Repairs | Office Costs | 10 | 1,253 |
| Moving Fees | Office Costs | 1 | 1,200 |
| Utilities | Office Costs | 1 | 1,141 |
| Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Office Costs | 2 | 849 |
Most recent
| Date | Category | Description | Paid (£) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Rent | 2024-25 [***] rent pro-rata | -395 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Rent | 2024-25 [***] rent pro-rata | -608 | Paid |
| 21 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Maintenance, Redecorations & Repairs | Toilet door lock and sign | 11 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 35 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 26 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 21 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 1 | Paid |
| 18 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Rent | Rent | 833 | Paid |
| 17 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Utilities | Electricity | 1,141 | Paid |
| 12 Mar 2025 | Staffing Bought-in services | Professional & consultancy | 9,000 | Paid |
| 12 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Cleaning services | Office cleaning and hygiene supplies | 334 | Paid |
| 12 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Insurance - contents | HISCOX [200011725-5037] | 291 | Paid |
| 12 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Cleaning services | Office cleaning | 125 | Paid |
| 11 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Rent | Rent | 2,492 | Paid |
| 07 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Landline & internet package | 493 | Paid |
| 05 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | 1,093 | Paid |
| 05 Mar 2025 | Staffing Training - staff | Caseworker development programme | 900 | Paid |
| 05 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Council tax | 2024-2025 council tax | 499 | Paid |
| 05 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | 10,000 letterheads | 430 | Paid |
| 05 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Advertising and contact cards | Promotion counter | 282 | 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 organisation2 entries
24 Mar 2026
Name of donor: Lord (David) Sainsbury
Address of donor: private
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: £20,000
Donor status: individual
(Registered 21 March 2026)
05 Aug 2025
Name of donor: Lord (David) Sainsbury
Address of donor: private
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: £20,000
Donor status: individual
(Registered 15 July 2025)
2. (b) Any other support not included in Category 2(a)1 entry
05 Aug 2025
Name of donor: Cressida Pollock and Danny Luhde-Thompson
Address of donor: private
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: £10,000
Date received: 11 July 2025
Date accepted: 11 July 2025
Donor status: individual
(Registered 15 July 2025)
8. Miscellaneous2 entries
24 Mar 2026
Volunteer Member of the Council of Management of The Lionel Cooke Memorial Fund Ltd (a funding body supporting Labour causes). This is an unpaid role.
Date interest arose: 1 January 2025
Date interest ended: 30 September 2025
(Registered 7 January 2025; updated 21 March 2026)
16 Aug 2024
Mountain Rescue Team Member. This is an unpaid role.
Date interest arose: 5 July 2024
(Registered 23 July 2024)
H · Ward results
Most recent winning councillor in each ward — 18 wards, 18 councillor seats.
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Votes | Election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bransty | Joseph Ghayouba | Labour Party | 1,043 | 05 May 2022 |
| Cleator Moor East Frizington | Linda Jones-Bulman | Labour Party | 847 | 05 May 2022 |
| Cleator Moor West | Michael Christopher Eldon | Labour Party | 1,087 | 05 May 2022 |
| Cockermouth South | Andrew Semple | Labour Party | 1,065 | 05 May 2022 |
| Egremont | Sam Pollen | Labour Party | 1,185 | 05 May 2022 |
| Egremont North St Bees | Reginald Graham Minshaw | Labour Party | 747 | 05 May 2022 |
| Gosforth | David Willis Moore | Conservative and Unionist Party | 989 | 05 May 2022 |
| Harrington | Denise Susan Rollo | Labour Party | 605 | 05 May 2022 |
| Hillcrest Hensingham | Jeanette Forster | Labour Party | 831 | 05 May 2022 |
| Howgate | Gillian Troughton | Labour Party | 678 | 05 May 2022 |
| Kells Sandwith | Emma Louise Williamson | Labour Party | 1,046 | 05 May 2022 |
| Maryport South | Bill Pegram | Labour Party | 692 | 05 May 2022 |
| Millom Without | Andy Pratt | Conservative and Unionist Party | 862 | 05 May 2022 |
| Mirehouse | Mike Hawkins | Labour Party | 536 | 05 May 2022 |
| Moss Bay Moorclose | Stephen Stoddart | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 631 | 05 May 2022 |
| Seaton | Jimmy Grisdale | Labour Party | 766 | 05 May 2022 |
| St Johns Great Clifton | Mark Anthony Fryer | Labour Party | 859 | 05 May 2022 |
| St Michaels | Barbara Cannon | Labour Party | 649 | 05 May 2022 |
I · Demographics
| Indicator | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 89,812 | Electorate 73,198 (2024) |
| Median age | 45 | years |
| Degree-educated | 24.9% | level 4 or above |
| Ethnicity (White) | 98.2% | 2021 Census ethnic group |
| Owner-occupied | 68.8% | households |
| Private-rented | 10.7% | households |
| Social-rented | 20.4% | households |
| Employment rate | 55.0% | 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.