Woking / data
Mr Will Forster · Liberal Democrats · sitting since 04 Jul 2024 · every division, speech and committee appearance.
Since election
659days
from 04 Jul 2024
Divisions
378
of 504 possible
Attendance
75%
126 absent / paired
Whip alignment
99%
vs party majority
Speeches
158
103 debates
Written Qs
304
287 answered
Committees
1
memberships
Expenses
£153k paid
FY 2024–2025 · 115 claims
Interests
6
2 categories
A · Overview
Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted — engagement only, not direction.
| Issue | Volume | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Taxation | 79 | |
| Economy | 67 | |
| Employment | 39 | |
| Crime & Policing | 35 | |
| Education | 31 | |
| Welfare and Benefits | 27 | |
| Constitution and Democracy | 23 | |
| Pensions | 22 |
Speech topics
Words spoken, by topic. Source: Hansard.
| Topic | Debates | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Local Government | 34 | 12,075 |
| Social Care | 27 | 10,176 |
| Immigration | 19 | 7,168 |
| Economy Jobs | 24 | 7,081 |
| Crime | 20 | 3,978 |
| Culture Community | 14 | 3,924 |
| Health | 14 | 3,756 |
| Cost Of Living | 12 | 3,728 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Mar 2025 | Tobacco and Vapes Bill: Third ReadingMPs voted to pass the Tobacco and Vapes Bill at its final stage in the Commons. The Bill aims to create a 'smokefree generation' by graduall… | Rebelled | No |
| 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 |
| 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 |
C · Speeches
| Date | Contribution | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Apr 2026 | Draft Asylum Seekers (Reception Conditions) (Amendment) Regulations 2026
Draft Immigration and Asylum (Provision of Accommodation to Failed Asylum-Seekers) (Amendment) Regulations 2026It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Jeremy. The Liberal Democrats continue to be disappointed that the Government have not set out a credible plan to tackle the asy… ImmigrationSocial CareLocal Government | 518 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | English Devolution and Community Empowerment BillI thank my fellow member of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee for giving way, and I agree with his criticism of the Labour Government. Does he agree that the … Local GovernmentHousingEnvironment | 82 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | English Devolution and Community Empowerment BillWill the right hon. Member give way? Local GovernmentHousingEnvironment | 7 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Topical QuestionsT3. Many of my constituents are really concerned that the world’s attention is on Trump’s illegal war in Iran, while Netanyahu is annexing land in Gaza, Lebanon and the west bank. … DefenceEconomy JobsImmigration | 56 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | English Devolution and Community Empowerment BillWill the Minister give way? Local GovernmentHousingEnvironment | 5 |
| 20 Apr 2026 | Community-owned Assets: Government Support Culture CommunityLocal GovernmentHousing | 0 |
| 20 Apr 2026 | Community-owned Assets: Government SupportMy concern about the impact of local government reorganisation is the lack of money for community-owned assets. Charities are entitled to a mandatory 80% business relief, with the … Culture CommunityLocal GovernmentHousing | 74 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | ExtremismI regularly meet church leaders in my constituency of Woking, and they often raise the plight of Christians abroad. Please can the hon. Member assure me that one of the Church’s to… Culture Community | 43 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Extremism4. What steps the Church is taking to help protect Christian communities from extremism. Culture Community | 14 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Business of the HouseA wife of a civil servant in my constituency gave up work to look after her husband when he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease. She found herself in severe financial difficul… DefenceLocal GovernmentHealth | 92 |
| 15 Apr 2026 | Rail Prices: Contactless PaymentsI agree that we need to avoid extra charges and make train fares cheaper. The hon. Lady talked about neighbouring constituencies. Despite Woking being the busiest station in Surrey… TransportCost Of Living | 83 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Draft Buckinghamshire Council (Adult Education Functions) Regulations 2026
Draft Surrey County Council (Adult Education Functions) Regulations 2026
Draft Warwickshire County Council (Adult Education Functions) Regulations 2026It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship this afternoon, Sir John. I will speak to the statutory instrument focused on Surrey, my constituency of Woking being foremost in my … EducationLocal GovernmentEconomy Jobs | 258 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Road Safety in Old WokingMany of my Woking constituents have concerns about the speed and volume of traffic on Old Woking High Street, particularly near St Peter’s church. Those concerns have been increase… TransportLocal Government | 293 |
| 13 Apr 2026 | Disclosure and Safeguarding: At-risk ChildrenIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Mundell. At the start of this year, I held a debate similar to this one, also in Westminster Hall, on local authority children’s … CrimeSocial CareEducation | 1,124 |
| 13 Apr 2026 | Social Housing StandardsHousing, including damp and mould, is a top issue in my inbox as MP for Woking. One of the key problems is the Conservatives’ unlawful removal of more than £4 million from the hous… HousingLocal Government | 71 |
D · Written questions
Top departments
| Department | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Health and Social Care | 53 | 17.4% |
| Department for Transport | 40 | 13.2% |
| Department for Education | 35 | 11.5% |
| Department for Work and Pensions | 32 | 10.5% |
| Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | 27 | 8.9% |
| Home Office | 24 | 7.9% |
| Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | 19 | 6.3% |
| Treasury | 14 | 4.6% |
Most recent
| Date | Department | Question | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Apr 2026 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has reviewed the success of shared care agreements with private providers when it comes to ADHD patient cases. | Pending |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Ministry of Justice | To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of delayed payments to people who have won employment tribunals. | Pending |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has reviewed the adequacy of support that General Practitioners receive when helping people access ADHD Medication. | Pending |
| 20 Apr 2026 | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Community and Local Government, whether she has assessed the impact of recently announced changes to Council Tax bills and debt collection on local councils. | Pending |
| 20 Apr 2026 | Department for Work and Pensions | To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 16 April 2026 to Question 125067 on Motability, in what circumstances the reduction in mileage allowance from 20,000 miles to 10,000 miles a year can be mitigate… | Pending |
| 20 Apr 2026 | Home Office | To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many naturalised British people are called for first-time adult passport interviews; and whether those interviews are chosen by risk-based selection. | Pending |
| 20 Apr 2026 | Department for Education | To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she will include Pathological Demand Avoidance in the proposed reforms to SEND provision. | Pending |
| 20 Apr 2026 | Department for Work and Pensions | To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment the Health and Safety Executive has made of the impact on septic tank and small sewage treatment systems of biocidal products containing Bronopol when used in motorhome or… | Pending |
| 20 Apr 2026 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his department has made of the potential impact on repeated disposal of antimicrobial toilet additives from motorhomes and caravans into campsite septic… | Pending |
| 17 Apr 2026 | Department for Transport | To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what work her Department is undertaking to develop a long-term policy framework to support the uptake of zero emission L-Category vehicles. | Pending |
| 17 Apr 2026 | Department for Transport | To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant expiry on investment confidence and jobs in the UK motorcycle and L-Category vehicle sector. | Pending |
| 17 Apr 2026 | Department for Transport | To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of loss of the expiry of the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant on the UK electric motorcycle market. | Pending |
| 17 Apr 2026 | Department for Transport | To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential economic impact of removing support for electric motorcycles relative to the cost of the scheme. | Pending |
| 15 Apr 2026 | Department for Education | To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with local authorities in Surrey on delivering Best Start Family Hubs in the area. | Pending |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Department for Work and Pensions | To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the time taken for Personal Independence Payment assessments which impact the (a) application for and (b) renewal of Blue Badges. | Pending |
E · Committees
| Committee | Role | House | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing, Communities and Local Government 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 | 98 | 26,136 | 17.1% |
| Staffing | 1 | 118,549 | 77.3% |
| Accommodation | 1 | 368 | 0.2% |
| MP Travel | 0 | 2,532 | 1.7% |
| Staff Travel | 0 | 5,698 | 3.7% |
Top itemised cost types
| Cost type | Category | Claims | Paid (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | Office Costs | 8 | 8,658 |
| Stationery & printing | Office Costs | 30 | 7,493 |
| Pooled staffing services | Staffing | 1 | 4,900 |
| Equipment - purchase | Office Costs | 28 | 3,905 |
| Landline phone & internet - installation & equipment purchase | Office Costs | 4 | 1,904 |
| Software & applications | Office Costs | 2 | 1,340 |
| Advertising and contact cards | Office Costs | 4 | 923 |
| Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | Office Costs | 10 | 517 |
| Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Office Costs | 3 | 500 |
| Hotel - London | Accommodation | 1 | 368 |
| Cleaning services | Office Costs | 3 | 367 |
| Moving Fees | Office Costs | 1 | 250 |
Most recent
| Date | Category | Description | Paid (£) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | XMA March 2025 | 820 | Paid |
| 11 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | XMA March 2025 | 410 | Paid |
| 11 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | XMA March 2025 | 335 | Paid |
| 11 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | XMA March 2025 | 334 | Paid |
| 01 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Rent | Rent | 1,970 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Advertising and contact cards | PARK COMMUNICATIONS [200011725-9918] | 770 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Landline phone & internet - installation & equipment purchase | Landline | 764 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | 78 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Computer, laptop, PC, tablet & accessories | 32 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Rent | 2024-25 [***] rent pro-rata | -1,970 | Paid |
| 30 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | 209 | Paid |
| 30 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | 7 | Paid |
| 27 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | 129 | Paid |
| 26 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | AMAZON [***] [200011725-10218] | 189 | Paid |
| 26 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | 85 | Paid |
| 26 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | AMAZON.CO.UK [***] [200011725-10219] | 34 | Paid |
| 25 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Office furniture | 155 | Paid |
| 24 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | [200011725-8202] | 24 | Paid |
| 23 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | AMAZON [***] [200011725-7121] | 439 | Paid |
| 21 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Office furniture | 158 | 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.
1. Employment and earnings4 entries
02 Oct 2024
Remuneration: £615 a month
Until: 29 May 2025.
Hours: 20 hrs a month No fixed hours of work
(Registered 16 July 2024; updated 30 September 2024 and 30 May 2025)
30 May 2025
Role, work or services: Councillor
Until: 29 May 2025.
Payer: Woking Borough Council, Civic Offices, Gloucester Square, Woking GU21 6YL
(Registered 16 July 2024; updated 30 May 2025)
02 Oct 2024
Remuneration: £1,180 a month
Work or services: Councillor
Until: 29 May 2025.
Hours: 32 hrs a month No fixed working hours
(Registered 16 July 2024; updated 30 September 2024 and 30 May 2025)
16 Aug 2024
Role, work or services: Councillor
Until: 29 May 2025.
Payer: Surrey County Council, 11 Cockshot Hill, Woodhatch, Reigate RH2 8EF
(Registered 16 July 2024; updated 30 May 2025)
3. Gifts, benefits and hospitality from UK sources2 entries
05 Aug 2025
Name of donor: Silverstone Circuits Limited
Address of donor: The Jimmy Brown Centre, Silverstone Circuit, Towcester NN12 8TN
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: Two tickets with hospitality for Saturday Qualifying at Silverstone, value £1,400
Date received: 5 July 2025
Date accepted: 5 July 2025
Donor status: company, registration 882843
(Registered 22 July 2025)
11 Mar 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: Complimentary membership from August 2024 until December 2025, value £1,552.86
Date received: 14 August 2024 to 31 December 2025
Date accepted: 14 August 2024
Donor status: other (Private members club)
(Registered 10 March 2025)
H · Ward results
Most recent winning councillor in each ward — 10 wards, 11 councillor seats.
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Votes | Election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Byfleet West Byfleet | Steve Howes | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 1,383 | 02 May 2024 |
| Canalside | Faisal Mumtaz | Liberal Democrats | 1,224 | 02 May 2024 |
| Goldsworth Park | Ann-Marie Barker | Liberal Democrats | 1,505 | 02 May 2024 |
| Heathlands | Pav Pandher | Liberal Democrats | 1,484 | 02 May 2024 |
| Hoe Valley | Tom Bonsundy-O'Bryan | Liberal Democrats | 1,311 | 02 May 2024 |
| Hoe Valley | Will Forster | Liberal Democrats | 1,569 | 02 May 2024 |
| Horsell | Melisa Jane Kuipers | Liberal Democrats | 2,177 | 02 May 2024 |
| Knaphill | John Richard Pearce | Liberal Democrats | 1,460 | 02 May 2024 |
| Mount Hermon | Ellen Nicholson | Liberal Democrats | 1,752 | 02 May 2024 |
| Pyrford | Attia Aslam | Liberal Democrats | 1,533 | 02 May 2024 |
| St Johns | Dale Roberts | Liberal Democrats | 1,716 | 02 May 2024 |
I · Demographics
| Indicator | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 103,920 | Electorate 72,969 (2024) |
| Median age | 40 | years |
| Degree-educated | 44.7% | level 4 or above |
| Ethnicity (White) | 78.4% | 2021 Census ethnic group |
| Owner-occupied | 67.3% | households |
| Private-rented | 21.1% | households |
| Social-rented | 11.6% | households |
| Employment rate | 63.6% | 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.