East of England · England · 77,673Boundary · 2023

Braintree

Follow⇄ Compare
Dispatch
Apr 2026

Represented by Con since 2024. Covers Braintree, Halstead (Braintree) and Great Notley. Population 89,528.

A former Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary now on the backbenches, James Cleverly has been most visibly active on local infrastructure issues -- publicly condemning the government's decision to axe A120 dualling as "shocking" and backing a constituent petition, while also pressing ministers on a nearby asylum centre and meeting repeatedly with local farmers over the inheritance tax changes affecting agricultural land. In Westminster, his most recent votes came in a single session in April 2026, where he backed Lords amendments to both the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill and the Pension Schemes Bill -- consistently opposing government attempts to overturn changes made by the upper chamber, including on the contentious ministerial power to direct pension fund investments.

At 66% voting participation, Cleverly falls below the Commons average, though that figure may partly reflect a period of frontbench or leadership-contest activity. He has not once voted against his Conservative colleagues, making him a 100% party-line voter in the current session. His stance profile is sharply pro-business (90%) and anti-tax-increases (85%), with near-zero alignment on workers' rights or progressive taxation. Notably, his speech activity is substantial -- 151 contributions across 74 debates -- with defence, the economy, immigration, and local government dominating. He speaks considerably more than his voting rate might suggest.

322
Commons votes
This parliament
£30k
Median income
HMRC · 2024
77.7k
Electorate
2024 GE

Con held for 5 consecutive elections.

Current Member of Parliament

James Cleverly

James Cleverly

Conservative and Unionist Party

The Rt Hon Sir James Cleverly is the Conservative MP for Braintree, and has been an MP continually since 7 May 2015. He currently undertakes the role of Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Sign up free to read the full briefing on James Cleverly.

Sign up free

Voting at a Glance

Represented by Con since 2024. Covers Braintree, Halstead (Braintree) and Great Notley. Population 89,528.

2024 General Election

§ 06This week in Westminster.Live · today’s sittingOrder Paper · refreshed daily

Cleverly’s scheduled Commons activity this week — whipped divisions, oral questions, debates — drawn from the House of Commons Order Paper.

§ 07The record, at a glance.335 divisions voted

Two readings of the same data. Issue volume shows where Cleverly has cast the most ballots — a proxy for engagement, not direction. Notable votes are the moments where the whip was free or where they broke ranks.

Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted · cumulative this Parliament
Taxation
81
Economy
71
Employment
42
Crime & Policing
30
Education
25
Constitution and Democracy
22
Notable votes
Free votes and rebellions — moments the MP’s own judgment matters more than the whip

No rebellions or free votes recorded yet.

§ 08The local picture.19 wards

Constituencies are not uniform. Below — the local council make-up, key facts worth knowing, and the neighbouring seats on either side.

WardCouncillorVotesParty
Bocking BlackwaterJustin Wrench804Conserva
Bocking BlackwaterLyn Shirley Walters815Conserva
Bocking BlackwaterLynette Barbara Flint773Conserva
Bocking NorthJohn Baugh522Conserva
Bocking NorthLynn Rosemary Jefferis565Labour P
Bocking SouthJack Peter Richard Edwards511Conserva
Bocking SouthMoia Thorogood485Labour P
Braintree Central Beckers GreenJonathan Kutsal Ayten687Labour P
Braintree Central Beckers GreenShirley Margaret Mason699Labour P
Braintree Central Beckers GreenThomas Alfred Diamond694Labour P
Braintree SouthKevin James Bowers457Conserva
Braintree SouthMartin John Green468Labour P
Population (2021 Census)
89,528
Electorate 77,673 · 2024 register
Median income
£30,200
HMRC SPI 2024
Households renting privately
15.8%
England average 20.0%
Schools
45
34 primary · 5 secondary
Next · dig deeperEvery division, question, speech and committee record

Mine the full
record → Data view

Filter divisions, search written questions, read every speech since the election. Sortable, searchable, downloadable.

More constituency data is being added, including local issue analysis and historical trends. Learn about our methodology. View data sources & attribution.