Conservative and Unionist Party MP for Exmouth and Exeter East.
Reed's most significant story is not a vote but a role: in March 2026 he was appointed Trade Commissioner for Eastern Europe, a full-time diplomatic posting that — according to local coverage — would end his work as an MP for Exmouth and Exeter East. That appointment overshadows his recent parliamentary activity, which includes voting against extending employment tribunal time limits, opposing planning delegation to officers, and supporting the opposition's motion criticising the government's early prison release scheme. He also backed an amendment calling for a post-legislative review of the public advocate's powers — one of very few instances where he broke from the standard Conservative line, though even there he voted with most of his party.
At Westminster, Reed is a 100% party-line voter with no rebel votes. His 62% participation rate sits below the Commons average. Where he does engage, his speeches cluster heavily around defence (71 contributions) and the economy (51), with his membership of the Armed Forces Bill Select Committee giving shape to the former. His stance profile marks him as strongly anti-tax, tough on crime, and closely aligned with Lords and parliamentary scrutiny — though on climate action he votes less green than even his Conservative colleagues. He is notably more supportive of housing development than his party average, and more restrictive on assisted dying.
Local coverage up to early 2026 was largely positive: Reed drew attention for championing a mental fitness scheme in schools, pressing developers over unadopted roads in Sidmouth, and criticising the postponement of local elections. His committee work spans International Development alongside the Armed Forces Bill. The trade commissioner appointment in March 2026 is the single biggest outstanding question about his future as a constituency MP; no further local news data is available to show how — or whether — that situation has resolved.
David Reed is the Conservative MP for Exmouth and Exeter East, and has been an MP continually since 4 July 2024. He currently undertakes the role of Opposition Assistant Whip (Commons).
Top eight by total divisions voted, this parliament. Volume measures engagement, not direction — see Notable Votes for free-vote moments and rebellions.
Source · The Public Whip · Hansard
Moments where the whip was free, or where Reed broke ranks. Free votes are the truer signal of personal stance.
No rebellions or free votes recorded yet.
Source · Hansard
“Low traffic neighbourhoods can worsen congestion on higher-traffic roads, raising questions about whether similar transport policies serve all road users fairly.”
“The Government has failed to honour ringfencing commitments; cutting £300 million from service housing in this Parliament while pushing 14,000 homes into the 2030s breaks faith wit…”
“Questioned the Government's use of different language ("committed" versus "supported") regarding defence review recommendations, suggesting this may imply different financial oblig…”
“UK resilience structures are unfit for purpose due to scattered departmental responsibility, lack of public conversation, and failure to learn from Denmark and Netherlands models; …”
Select, joint and other committees Reed currently sits on. Committee work is where much of the line-by-line scrutiny of bills and departments happens, away from the chamber.
| Committee | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Select Committee on the Armed Forces Bill | Member | Select |
| International Development Committee | Member | Select |
Source · UK Parliament Committees API
Committee seats are where backbenchers shape legislation and hold departments to account. Reed sits on 2.
| Department | Qs | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Ministry of Defence | 91 | 45.7% |
| Department for Education | 17 | 8.5% |
| Treasury | 15 | 7.5% |
| Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | 14 | 7.0% |
| Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | 9 | 4.5% |
| Home Office | 7 | 3.5% |
| Department for Transport | 7 | 3.5% |
| Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | 6 | 3.0% |
Given General Sir Richard Barrons' evidence to the Defence Committee on 7 July 2026 that expenditure under the 1.5% of GDP NATO resilience target has not funded the security of military airbases, the condition of military ports, NHS mass casualty capacity, or mobilisation and forward-basing stock, why his Department did not prioritise these areas.
Awaiting answer.
Whether (a) his and (b) any other Department has identified any (i) state, (ii) state-linked and (iii) state-sponsored entity as (A) partially and (B) wholly responsible for the August 2025 to September 2025 cyber attack on Jaguar Land Rover.
Awaiting answer.
What discussions his Department has had regarding the future of the Veterans Mobility Fund beyond March 2027.
Awaiting answer.
What training or exercises to prepare for civil unrest arising from a major national crisis have been conducted in the last 12 months, broken down by (a) police force and (b) number of exercises.
Awaiting answer.
The Coalition for Global Prosperity (CGP) 31 March 2026 to 30 June 2026 |
AMS Global Solutions 10 May 2026 |
The Henry Jackson Society 18 February 2026 to 20 February 2026 |
Armed Forces APPG 16 December 2025 |
Armed Forces APPG 24 November 2025 |
Source · Members API · Last amended 19 May 2026
| Category | £ | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Staffing | 145,855 | 74.3% |
| Office Costs | 21,531 | 11.0% |
| Accommodation | 17,411 | 8.9% |
| Staff Travel | 8,027 | 4.1% |
| MP Travel | 3,513 | 1.8% |
| Total · 107 claims | 196,336 | 100% |
Source · IPSA · FY 24_25
Nothing tabled for Reed on the published Order Paper this week.
| Year | Constituency | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Exmouth and Exeter East | 14,728 | 28.7% | Won |
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| David ReedWON | Con | 14,728 | 28.7 |
Showing the MP’s own row only. Full result table: see Exmouth and Exeter East →