Wales · 73,060Boundary · 2023

Cardiff South & Penarth

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Dispatch
Apr 2026

A safe Lab seat, won with 44% of the vote in 2024. Covers Cardiff, Penarth and Dinas Powis. Population 106,436, notably young (median age 31 vs 41 nationally).

As Minister of State for Europe at the Foreign Office, Stephen Doughty has been making headlines for leading UK sanctions against international scam networks and human trafficking operations in Southeast Asia, including asset freezes and blacklisting of cryptocurrency networks linked to a multibillion-dollar fraud empire. His most notable parliamentary moment recently came on 20 June 2025, when he broke with the Labour majority on multiple votes on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill -- opposing the bill at Third Reading and voting against amendments he viewed as insufficiently protective, while backing a separate amendment to strengthen procedural safeguards around doctor assessments. His stance places him among Labour MPs who opposed assisted dying legislation on safety grounds.

A 94.6% party-line voter overall, Doughty participates in just 45% of votes -- well below the Commons average, which likely reflects his ministerial workload rather than disengagement. His voting record shows strong alignment with workers' rights and progressive taxation, but he deviates from the Labour average notably on parliamentary scrutiny (voting more often in favour of scrutiny measures than most colleagues) and on assisted dying safeguards. His 722 speech contributions span defence, the economy, and immigration, consistent with his Foreign Office brief.

221
Commons votes
This parliament
£29k
Median income
HMRC · 2024
73.1k
Electorate
2024 GE

Lab held for 6 consecutive elections.

Current Member of Parliament

Stephen Doughty

Stephen Doughty

Labour and Co-operative Party

Stephen Doughty is the Labour (Co-op) MP for Cardiff South and Penarth, and has been an MP continually since 15 November 2012. He currently holds the Government post of Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office).

Notable Votes

Vote on whether to prevent someone from qualifying as 'terminally ill' under the assisted dying bill solely because they have chosen to stop eating and drinking. The amendment would close a potential loophole where a person who is not otherwise terminally ill could meet the bill's eligibility criteria by voluntarily starving themselves.

MP voted YesAgainst party majority

MPs voted on the Third Reading of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill — the final Commons vote on whether to pass the assisted dying legislation in its amended form. Passing Third Reading sends the Bill to the House of Lords.

MP voted NoAgainst party majority

Vote on whether to prevent someone from qualifying as 'terminally ill' under the assisted dying bill solely because they have voluntarily stopped eating and drinking. The amendment aimed to close a potential loophole where a person might use self-starvation to meet the terminal illness criteria they would not otherwise meet.

MP voted NoAgainst party majority

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Voting at a Glance

A safe Lab seat, won with 44% of the vote in 2024. Covers Cardiff, Penarth and Dinas Powis. Population 106,436, notably young (median age 31 vs 41 nationally).

2024 General Election

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

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

§ 07The record, at a glance.230 divisions voted

Two readings of the same data. Issue volume shows where Doughty 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
Economy
50
Taxation
46
Employment
25
Constitution and Democracy
21
Crime & Policing
19
Defence and Foreign Affairs
16
Notable votes
Free votes and rebellions — moments the MP’s own judgment matters more than the whip
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Amendment 2420 Jun 2025 · free vote
Aye
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Third Reading20 Jun 2025 · free vote
No
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Amendment 9420 Jun 2025 · free vote
No
§ 08The local picture.11 wards

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

WardCouncillorVotesParty
ButetownHelen Gunter1,364Labour P
ButetownMargaret Lewis1,184Labour P
ButetownSaeed Noor Ebrahim1,502Labour P
CathaysAli Ahmed1,940Labour P
CathaysChris Weaver1,607Labour P
CathaysNorma Mackie1,798Labour P
CathaysSarah Elizabeth Merry1,876Labour P
CornerswellIan Buckley1,012Labour P
CornerswellRhiannon Mary Birch1,003Labour P
Dinas PowysAnne Asbrey1,466Plaid Cy
Dinas PowysChris Franks1,674Plaid Cy
Dinas PowysMarianne Cowpe1,273Plaid Cy
Population (2021 Census)
106,436
Electorate 73,060 · 2024 register
Median income
£29,000
HMRC SPI 2024
Households renting privately
33.2%
England average 20.0%
Schools
41
0 primary · 0 secondary
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