Labour and Co-operative Party MP for Rochdale.
Waugh's most significant recent act was breaking with Labour on assisted dying. On 20 June 2025 he voted against the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at Third Reading and backed two amendments designed to tighten eligibility by preventing voluntary starvation from qualifying someone as terminally ill — placing him among the minority of Labour MPs who opposed the bill's final passage. His voting record scores him above his party average on both assisted-dying access (67% vs 45%) and safeguards (67% vs 51%), suggesting he wanted a more restrictive bill rather than no bill at all. Beyond Westminster, his local press coverage has been consistently positive: he is credited with securing a £20 million investment in Smallbridge and Hurstead and has been visible at Holocaust Memorial Day events and veterans' commemorations in Rochdale.
At 88% participation and 97.9% party-line alignment, Waugh is an engaged, largely loyal Labour MP. His speeches span economy and jobs, defence, social care, local government, and cost of living — a broad constituency-facing portfolio. He scores 100% on progressive taxation votes and 83% on workers' rights, but just 5% on parliamentary scrutiny measures and 14% on pro-business votes, marking him as a left-leaning loyalist on most economic questions. He holds no select committee seats, which limits his formal scrutiny role.
One tension in the data is worth flagging. Despite writing publicly about honouring Rochdale's veterans and attending remembrance events, his voting record on veterans-related measures sits at 0% — 23 percentage points below his party's average. Whether that reflects the specific content of those votes or a broader pattern is unclear from the available data. No committee memberships are recorded for this parliament.
Paul Waugh is the Labour (Co-op) MP for Rochdale, and has been an MP continually since 4 July 2024.
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 Waugh broke ranks. Free votes are the truer signal of personal stance.
| Date | Bill / motion | Vote | Whip |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Jun 2025 | Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: New Clause 16 | Yes | Freevs party |
| 20 Jun 2025 | Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Amendment 24 | Yes | Freevs party |
| 20 Jun 2025 | Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Amendment 77 | No | Freevs party |
Source · Hansard
“Called for UK ban on Israeli settlement goods and services, warning that settlements undermine Palestinian statehood prospects.”
“Today's extreme weather is the coolest we will experience this century; Labour has a strong record on climate action but must do more to prevent damage to health, economy and natio…”
“Convicted grooming gang members like Shabir Ahmed should be deported rather than released with restrictions; the Home Office and Foreign Office must pursue every option to ensure d…”
“Praised local Armed Forces Day arrangements in Rochdale and highlighted community-led veteran support organisations like GTAS.”
Waugh holds no select-committee seat this session. New 2024-intake MPs typically wait one term before being appointed.
| Department | Qs | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Department for Education | 2 | 25.0% |
| Department for Work and Pensions | 2 | 25.0% |
| Department of Health and Social Care | 1 | 12.5% |
| Home Office | 1 | 12.5% |
| Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | 1 | 12.5% |
| Ministry of Justice | 1 | 12.5% |
What steps his Department is taking to improve maternity care.
I remain deeply concerned by the state of maternity care we inherited in the NHS.The Secretary of State announced a rapid, independent investigation in NHS Maternity and Neonatal services to help us understand the systemic issues behind why…read full →
What steps his Department is taking to support rape survivors in the criminal justice system.
The Ministry of Justice will be investing £550 million in victim support services over the next three years – the biggest investment in these services to date.We are introducing a package of legislative measures to improve victims’ experien…read full →
What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the five-week wait for Universal Credit on (a) debt and (b) poverty levels.
We are reviewing Universal Credit, to make sure it is doing the job we want it to. We are committed to considering how we can support people during the Initial Assessment Period, often referred to as the 5-week wait, before they receive the…read full →
What recent estimate she has made of the number of people in receipt of the (a) enhanced and (b) standard PIP who were awarded less than four points in all 10 of the daily living activities in the assessment criteria in Rochdale constituency.
For the volume of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants in Rochdale who scored less than four points in all 10 daily living activities in their most recent assessment by award see Table 1 below. After the reforms PIP expenditure is …read full →
Rochdale Association Football Club Limited 10 May 2026 |
Member of Rochdale Supporters Club Limited. This is an unpaid role.
Member of Rochdale Supporters Club Limited. This is an unpaid role.
(Registered 31 July 2024) |
Source · Members API · Last amended 3 Jun 2026
| Category | £ | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Staffing | 125,473 | 71.8% |
| Office Costs | 20,869 | 11.9% |
| Accommodation | 13,264 | 7.6% |
| MP Travel | 6,667 | 3.8% |
| Staff Travel | 4,687 | 2.7% |
| Total · 80 claims | 174,775 | 100% |
Source · IPSA · FY 24_25
Nothing tabled for Waugh on the published Order Paper this week.
| Year | Constituency | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Rochdale | 13,027 | 32.8% | Won |
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul WaughWON | Lab | 13,027 | 32.8 |
Showing the MP’s own row only. Full result table: see Rochdale →