Al Carns.

A government minister who voted down four proposed amendments and new clauses to the Armed Forces Bill in June 2026 — in his role as Veterans Minister — Carns has also opposed multiple amendments to the National Security (State Threats) Bill, consistently backing the government's position against proposed changes to judicial oversight and human rights safeguards. His most eye-catching recent news was an attempt to climb Everest in seven days for veterans' charities, but more substantively he has lobbied West Midlands Police leadership to secure dedicated neighbourhood officers for Birmingham Selly Oak, and championed the Midlands Rail Hub project for local transport improvements.

Carns votes with Labour on every recorded division — a 100% party-line record across 285 votes — but participates in roughly half of all Commons votes (52%), below the average for MPs. His stance profile flags two notable patterns: he scores just 11% on parliamentary scrutiny measures and 21% on local democracy, both well below his party's average, suggesting a consistent preference for executive authority over oversight mechanisms. Defence dominates his speech activity, with 78 contributions on the topic across 79 debates, reflecting his ministerial brief and his background as a former Special Forces officer.

Carns sits on the Select Committee on the Armed Forces Bill, placing him at the centre of the legislation he has also been voting on as a minister — a dual role worth noting. His deviations from the Labour average are modest: he leans more strongly toward assisted dying access (+28 percentage points above his party) and is more firmly anti-fossil-fuel subsidy (+24pp). News coverage over the past 90 days is extensive but mostly neutral in tone, concentrated on local government and transport; defence coverage carries a more positive signal. Voting data covers 285 of 551 recorded divisions since July 2024.