Chris Coghlan.

Chris Coghlan made headlines in the summer of 2025 for reasons that had nothing to do with policy: The Telegraph called him "the most spineless MP in Britain," and a piece in The Critic argued it was right to deny him Communion over his assisted-dying votes — a controversy that cut across parliamentary and religious lines. Those votes are revealing: Coghlan sits well to the left of his own party on assisted dying, backing access where 28% of Lib Dem MPs did not, and firmly opposing restrictions his colleagues supported. More recently he voted against the Railways Bill at Third Reading — joining opposition to Labour's rail renationalisation on the grounds that Great British Railways would simultaneously run services and control competitors' access — while supporting Lib Dem amendments to protect railcard discounts and enshrine a Passengers' Charter in law.

His parliamentary participation rate of 52% is below the Commons average, but his 94 contributions across 66 debates suggests he engages selectively rather than absenting himself entirely. He votes at 100% party alignment and has no rebel votes on record. His stance profile marks him as strongly pro-parliamentary-scrutiny (95%), anti-tax-increases (90%), pro-civil-liberties (90%), and pro-business (83%) — a fiscally cautious, accountability-focused liberal. Economy, defence, and local government dominate his speech topics. His Treasury Committee membership aligns with that pattern.

He has been notably active on Surrey-specific issues: accusing the county council of breaking the law on adult social care, pushing hard on SEND provision, and flagging NHS dentistry and sewage pollution as priorities since his election in 2024. Local news coverage over the past 90 days is heavy but neutral on balance. Voting data covers 554 divisions; speech and news records extend to mid-2026.