East of England · England · 78,479Boundary · 2023

Bury St Edmunds & Stowmarket

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Created in the 2023 boundary review, replacing Bury St Edmunds.

Dispatch
Apr 2026

Won by Lab in its first election in 2024 by 2.8%. Covers Bury St Edmunds, Stowmarket and Elmswell. Population 106,780.

A doctor turned politician, Peter Prinsley has made headlines recently by leading the cross-party fight to salvage the assisted dying bill, drawing on his medical experience to make the case in Parliament. That stance puts him meaningfully to one side of the Labour mainstream -- he votes for end-of-life autonomy at a rate 12 percentage points below his party's average, suggesting a more cautious position on patient choice that reflects his clinical background. Closer to home, he has raised a Suffolk river neglect case in Parliament after visiting the site with a local constituent, and secured commitments on West Suffolk Hospital's rebuild and local road resurfacing -- early wins that earned him positive local coverage in his first year as Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket's first ever Labour MP.

In the chamber, Prinsley votes in 86% of divisions -- roughly in line with the Commons average -- and has never broken from the Labour whip. His 221 contributions across 157 debates place him among the more active backbenchers, with speeches concentrated on the economy, health, social care and defence. His stance data flags strong alignment with workers' rights (92%) and housing development (93%), and he sits 65 percentage points above his party average on pension protection votes, the most distinctive divergence in his record. He scores low on pro-business and pro-parliamentary-scrutiny measures, consistent with a backbencher who broadly backs government powers over Lords and external interests.

420
Commons votes
This parliament
£30k
Median income
HMRC · 2024
78.5k
Electorate
2024 GE

A new constituency created in the 2023 boundary review.

Current Member of Parliament

Peter Prinsley

Peter Prinsley

Labour Party

Peter Prinsley is the Labour MP for Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket, and has been an MP continually since 4 July 2024.

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Voting at a Glance

Won by Lab in its first election in 2024 by 2.8%. Covers Bury St Edmunds, Stowmarket and Elmswell. Population 106,780.

2024 General Election

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

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

§ 07The record, at a glance.432 divisions voted

Two readings of the same data. Issue volume shows where Prinsley 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
82
Economy
75
Employment
39
Education
39
Crime & Policing
39
Constitution and Democracy
28
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.23 wards

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

WardCouncillorVotesParty
AbbeygateJo Rayner575Conserva
AbbeygateJulia Wakelam796Green Pa
BardwellAndrew Smith518Conserva
BarninghamCarol Bull529Conserva
ChiltonLorraine Dawn Baker589Green Pa
Combs FordKeith Edward Scarff1,059Liberal
Combs FordMiles Row1,029Green Pa
EastgateCliff Waterman415Labour P
Elmswell WoolpitJen Overett1,358Green Pa
Elmswell WoolpitSarah Mansel1,583Green Pa
IxworthJohn Griffiths242Conserva
MindenDonna Elizabeth Higgins831Labour P
Population (2021 Census)
106,780
Electorate 78,479 · 2024 register
Median income
£29,900
HMRC SPI 2024
Households renting privately
17.9%
England average 20.0%
Schools
51
32 primary · 7 secondary
Next · dig deeperEvery division, question, speech and committee record

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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.