Steve Barclay.

Chairing the Commons Finance Committee puts Steve Barclay at the centre of parliamentary scrutiny of public spending — and his voting record confirms that role fits. He scores 100% on both pro-parliamentary-scrutiny and anti-tax-increases measures, and has opposed government timetabling restrictions on national security legislation, arguing bills with civil liberties implications deserve fuller debate. His three rebel votes since 2024 span a wide range: backing the generational tobacco ban against his party's majority, supporting removal of Church of England bishops from the Lords, and — most recently, in June 2025 — voting to reinstate in-person appointments before abortion pills are dispensed, breaking from his party in the opposite direction on that occasion.

A 99.1% party-line voter overall, Barclay sits well to the right of his parliamentary colleagues on several measures: he aligns with pro-business positions 95% of the time, scores 0% on progressive taxation, and falls 28 points below the Conservative average on child welfare votes. His 62% voting participation is below the Commons average, though former cabinet ministers often record lower rates. His 183 contributions across 86 debates cover economy and jobs most heavily, followed by local government, environment, crime, and defence — a spread that reflects both his Finance Committee chairmanship and constituency pressures in North East Cambridgeshire.

Local news coverage has been thin in recent months: one article of note recorded Barclay pressing the Water Minister in Parliament over a pollution incident that killed nearly 900 fish near Peterborough and Whittlesey, a direct piece of constituency casework. Otherwise, recent news items carry no traceable connection to his activity. His Liaison Committee membership, alongside the Finance Committee chair, means he sits on the body that oversees all select committee work — giving him an unusually broad parliamentary platform for a backbencher.