Central Devon / data
Sir Mel Stride · Conservative and Unionist Party · sitting since 06 May 2010 · every division, speech and committee appearance.
Since election
5833days
from 06 May 2010
Divisions
276
of 504 possible
Attendance
55%
228 absent / paired
Whip alignment
99%
vs party majority
Speeches
167
27 debates
Written Qs
116
111 answered
Committees
0
memberships
Expenses
£237k paid
FY 2024–2025 · 188 claims
Interests
8
6 categories
A · Overview
Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted — engagement only, not direction.
| Issue | Volume | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Taxation | 63 | |
| Economy | 59 | |
| Employment | 35 | |
| Crime & Policing | 29 | |
| Pensions | 19 | |
| Education | 19 | |
| Defence and Foreign Affairs | 17 | |
| Energy | 16 |
Speech topics
Words spoken, by topic. Source: Hansard.
| Topic | Debates | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 2 | — |
| Economy Jobs | 26 | 29,564 |
| Fiscal Policy | 14 | 14,812 |
| Cost Of Living | 15 | 12,221 |
| Mp Performance | 4 | 5,694 |
| Housing | 2 | 5,214 |
| Defence | 3 | 4,302 |
| Local Government | 3 | 4,267 |
B · Notable divisions
Free votes, rebellions and high-salience whipped votes — the moments that distinguish this MP from the party machine. The full division-by-division record will follow once the per-MP archive is wired.
| Date | Division | Whip | MP voted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Jun 2025 | Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Third ReadingMPs voted on the Third Reading of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill — the final Commons vote on whether to pass the assisted dyin… | Free vote | Aye |
| 29 Nov 2024 | Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Second ReadingMPs voted on whether to give the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill its Second Reading, which would allow terminally ill adults in Eng… | Free vote | Aye |
| 26 Nov 2024 | Tobacco and Vapes Bill: Second ReadingMPs voted on whether to give the Tobacco and Vapes Bill its Second Reading, advancing legislation that would create a 'smoke-free generation… | Free vote | Aye |
C · Speeches
| Date | Contribution | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 21 Apr 2026 | Middle East: Economic UpdateI thank the right hon. Lady for advance sight of her statement. The UK has some of the highest energy prices in the world. That is crippling our economy and pushing up the cost of … EnergyEconomy JobsCost Of Living | 761 |
| 24 Mar 2026 | Middle East: Economic UpdateI thank the Chancellor for advance sight of her statement. The right hon. Lady comes to the House with an economy in tatters. She would have us believe that she has delivered the s… EnergyCost Of LivingEconomy Jobs | 714 |
| 10 Mar 2026 | Topical QuestionsGiven the rapidly rising cost of oil and gas, why does the right hon. Lady believe that it is better to import it than to extract it from the North sea? Cost Of LivingEconomy JobsUtilities | 31 |
| 10 Mar 2026 | Topical QuestionsFor every single year of the last Conservative Government, we froze fuel duty, and we did so to stand up for hard-working families. Given that petrol prices are surging at the pump… Cost Of LivingEconomy JobsUtilities | 45 |
| 09 Mar 2026 | Middle East: Economic UpdateI thank the Chancellor for advance sight of her statement and add the Opposition’s firm support for our armed forces. As the Chancellor has made clear, these are very serious and c… Cost Of LivingEconomy JobsDefence | 851 |
| 03 Mar 2026 | Spring ForecastOur borrowing is even higher than Greece’s. Indeed, if debt were a Department, it would be the third largest spending Department in Whitehall. That is money not going on the people… Economy JobsCost Of LivingDefence | 947 |
| 03 Mar 2026 | Spring ForecastNo, they do not like it, Mr Speaker; they do not like the truth. This is not a spring statement. It is a surrender statement. The Chancellor has the temerity to suggest that she is… Economy JobsCost Of LivingDefence | 297 |
| 03 Mar 2026 | Spring ForecastThank you, Mr Speaker; they just do not like the truth—that is the truth of it. As our economy bleeds out, what does the right hon. Lady do? She comes to this House with nothing to… Economy JobsCost Of LivingDefence | 117 |
| 03 Mar 2026 | Spring ForecastThank you, Mr Speaker. The right hon. Lady says the cost of borrowing is coming down, but does she not know that the cost of borrowing in this country has been the highest in the G… Economy JobsCost Of LivingDefence | 37 |
| 03 Mar 2026 | Spring ForecastIs that it? What utter complacency—a Chancellor in denial. She speaks of stability, but what planet is she on? She has lurched from putting up taxes to destroying growth and headro… Economy JobsCost Of LivingDefence | 61 |
| 27 Jan 2026 | Business RatesThat is much appreciated, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, was that it? After all this time, and weeks of telling our local pubs that help was on the way, this is all they get—a temporary s… Economy JobsFiscal PolicyLocal Government | 707 |
| 27 Jan 2026 | Business RatesLast orders. Economy JobsFiscal PolicyLocal Government | 2 |
| 27 Jan 2026 | Business RatesMr Speaker, I think the mood of the House is that 10 minutes from the hon. Gentleman is more than enough, although I am grateful to him for having given me advance sight of his sta… Economy JobsFiscal PolicyLocal Government | 36 |
| 27 Jan 2026 | Topical QuestionsMr Speaker, I begin by associating Conservative Members with the Chancellor’s comments about your leg—we wish it well. We are waiting with interest to hear the details of the lates… Economy JobsCost Of LivingLocal Government | 92 |
| 27 Jan 2026 | Topical QuestionsThey just do not get it. Of course, it is not just pubs; the whole high street—shops, restaurants and hotels—is seeing massive increases in business rates, some well over 100%. Whe… Economy JobsCost Of LivingLocal Government | 37 |
D · Written questions
Top departments
| Department | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Department for Work and Pensions | 54 | 46.6% |
| Treasury | 50 | 43.1% |
| Department for Education | 6 | 5.2% |
| Ministry of Defence | 4 | 3.4% |
| Cabinet Office | 1 | 0.9% |
| Department for Energy Security and Net Zero | 1 | 0.9% |
Most recent
| Date | Department | Question | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Apr 2026 | Department for Work and Pensions | To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the decision to reduce the maximum UC deduction rate on a) public sector net borrowing, b) public sector net debt, c) public sector… | Pending |
| 20 Apr 2026 | Department for Work and Pensions | To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what number of universal credit households in the most recent quarter for which data is available were subject to a deduction; and what proportion of these households were subject to the… | Pending |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what were tax receipts from Carbon Price Support in each of the last five financial years for which data is available. | Pending |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Written Statement of 16 April 2026 on Carbon Price Support, HCWS1519, what estimate her Department has made of the cost to tax revenues of abolishing Carbon Price Support in each… | Pending |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much VAT revenue was raised from the sale of petrol and diesel in the last financial year for which data is available. | Answered |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what percentage of total Air Passenger Duty receipts was attributable to (a) domestic and short-haul flights and (b) long-haul flights in the most recent financial year for which data is available. | Answered |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of total Air Passenger Duty receipts were attributable to passengers travelling with children under 16 in the most recent financial year for which data is available. | Answered |
| 10 Apr 2026 | Department for Education | To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Interest rate cap introduced to protect Plan 2 borrowers, published on 7 April 2026, what estimate her Department has made of the cost to… | Pending |
| 25 Mar 2026 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will list all changes to the UK tax system which will take effect from 6 April 2026, including changes to rates, thresholds, allowances and reliefs. | Answered |
| 25 Mar 2026 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, why the statistics publication entitled Minor tax expenditures and structural reliefs on GOV.UK has not been updated since December 2024. | Answered |
| 10 Mar 2026 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to HC Deb 9 March 2026, vol. 782 column 47, to which specific parliamentary votes was the Chancellor referring when she said opposition parties had voted against freezes in fuel duty. | Answered |
| 20 Feb 2026 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the difference is between the 250,000 retail, hospitality and leisure businesses benefitting from business rates relief, as cited in answer to question UIN 904249, and the 750,000 businesses bene… | Answered |
| 20 Feb 2026 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much funding is allocated to the National Wealth Fund for each financial year from 2024-25 onward, broken down by capital spending allocations and financial transactions. | Answered |
| 11 Feb 2026 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how the cost of the additional business rates support for pubs will be funded. | Answered |
| 11 Feb 2026 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how the policy to write off 90% of local authority SEND debs will be funded. | Answered |
E · Committees
No committee memberships recorded for this MP.
F · Expenses
Every business-cost claim reimbursed by IPSA in the current financial year, grouped by category. “Aggregated” rows are IPSA’s own year-end totals for cost types like payroll and rent that aren’t itemised claim-by-claim.
Category breakdown
| Category | Claims | Paid (£) | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office Costs | 152 | 11,627 | 4.9% |
| Accommodation | 25 | 21,947 | 9.3% |
| MP Travel | 0 | 2,154 | 0.9% |
| Staff Travel | 0 | 806 | 0.3% |
| Staffing | 0 | 199,284 | 84.2% |
| Dependant Travel | 0 | 757 | 0.3% |
Top itemised cost types
| Cost type | Category | Claims | Paid (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pooled staffing services | Office Costs | 1 | 5,265 |
| Council tax | Accommodation | 13 | 3,084 |
| Software & applications | Office Costs | 27 | 2,626 |
| Utilities | Accommodation | 12 | 2,104 |
| Mobile telephone - equipment purchase | Office Costs | 20 | 797 |
| Newspapers, journals, magazines | Office Costs | 67 | 774 |
| Stationery & printing | Office Costs | 4 | 750 |
| Mobile telephone - contract & usage | Office Costs | 16 | 556 |
| Website hosting and design | Office Costs | 2 | 378 |
| Bought-in services | Office Costs | 1 | 288 |
| Equipment - purchase | Office Costs | 1 | 124 |
| Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Office Costs | 12 | 60 |
Most recent
| Date | Category | Description | Paid (£) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Software & applications | Elected Technologies Caseworker software | 720 | Paid |
| 22 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Newspapers, journals, magazines | Economist, Spectator | 16 | Paid |
| 22 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Newspapers, journals, magazines | MDA subscription | 6 | Paid |
| 22 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Newspapers, journals, magazines | Okehampton Times subscription | 6 | Paid |
| 22 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Newspapers, journals, magazines | Crediton Courier subscription | 5 | Paid |
| 14 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Mobile telephone - contract & usage | Vodafone calls | 42 | Paid |
| 14 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Mobile telephone - equipment purchase | Vodafone Device Plan | 25 | Paid |
| 11 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Landline | 5 | Paid |
| 08 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Newspapers, journals, magazines | Spectator Magazine | 6 | Paid |
| 07 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Software & applications | Apple iCloud | 9 | Paid |
| 03 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Newspapers, journals, magazines | Telegraph subscription | 35 | Paid |
| 02 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Newspapers, journals, magazines | Spectator Magazine | 6 | Paid |
| 01 Feb 2025 | Accommodation Council tax | Council Tax | 239 | Paid |
| 30 Jan 2025 | Office Costs Software & applications | Apple iCloud | 8 | Paid |
| 25 Jan 2025 | Office Costs Newspapers, journals, magazines | The Spectator | 6 | Paid |
| 22 Jan 2025 | Office Costs Newspapers, journals, magazines | MDA Subscription | 6 | Paid |
| 22 Jan 2025 | Office Costs Newspapers, journals, magazines | Okehampton Times Subscription | 6 | Paid |
| 22 Jan 2025 | Office Costs Newspapers, journals, magazines | Crediton Courier Subscription | 5 | Paid |
| 18 Jan 2025 | Office Costs Newspapers, journals, magazines | The Spectator | 6 | Paid |
| 16 Jan 2025 | Accommodation Utilities | Electricity | 210 | Paid |
G · Register of interests
Every financial interest declared by the MP, grouped under the Register’s official categories. Retracted entries are hidden but counted above.
2. (a) Support linked to an MP but received by a local party organisation or indirectly via a central party organisation1 entry
02 Dec 2025
Name of donor: J. C. Bamford Excavators Limited
Address of donor: Lakeside Works, Rocester, Uttoxeter ST14 5JP
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: £25,000 for the provision of staff
Donor status: company, registration 00561597
(Registered 20 November 2025)
2. (b) Any other support not included in Category 2(a)3 entries
24 Feb 2026
Name of donor: IPGL Limited
Address of donor: 39 Sloane Street, London SW1X 9PL
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: £2,000 political activity
Date received: 21 January 2026
Date accepted: 21 January 2026
Donor status: company, registration 09064598
(Registered 10 February 2026)
24 Feb 2026
Name of donor: Susan Green
Address of donor: private
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: £2,000 political activity
Date received: 21 January 2026
Date accepted: 21 January 2026
Donor status: individual
(Registered 10 February 2026)
08 Oct 2025
Name of donor: Graham Edwards
Address of donor: private
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: £4,000 policy research/visits
Date received: 12 September 2025
Date accepted: 12 September 2025
Donor status: individual
(Registered 30 September 2025)
3. Gifts, benefits and hospitality from UK sources1 entry
06 Jan 2026
Name of donor: Kensington, Bayswater, Chelsea & Fulham Conservatives
Address of donor: 44 Southern Row, London W10 5AN
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: Two ticekts for myself and Lady Stride to attend a gala fundraising event, where I was also a guest speaker, value £340
Date received: 24 November 2025
Date accepted: 24 November 2025
Donor status: registered party
(Registered 18 December 2025)
4. Visits outside the UK1 entry
08 Oct 2025
Name of donor: Graham Edwards
Address of donor: private
Estimate of the probable value (or amount of any donation): £11,000 trip to USA and accompanied by Parliamentary Adviser. Donation received 12 September 2025
Destination of visit: United States
Dates of visit: 6 September 2025 to 10 September 2025
Purpose of visit: Economic research and business visits
(Registered 30 September 2025)
7. (i) Shareholdings: over 15% of issued share capital1 entry
18 Apr 2024
Name of company or organisation: Venture Marketing Group Ltd
Nature of business: Publisher, organiser of exhibitions and conferences
8. Miscellaneous1 entry
18 Nov 2025
Honorary Fellowship awarded by St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford. This is an unpaid role.
Date interest arose: 9 October 2025
(Registered 7 November 2025)
H · Ward results
Most recent winning councillor in each ward — 23 wards, 38 councillor seats.
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Votes | Election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashburton Buckfastleigh | Jack Anthony Major | Liberal Democrats | 715 | 02 May 2024 |
| Bovey | Martin Phillip Smith | Conservative and Unionist Party | 786 | 04 May 2023 |
| Bovey | Sally Angela Morgan | Liberal Democrats | 1,011 | 04 May 2023 |
| Bovey | Staurt Webster | Conservative and Unionist Party | 755 | 04 May 2023 |
| Cadbury | Rhys Roberts | Conservative and Unionist Party | 277 | 04 May 2023 |
| Chagford | Jane Elliott | Green Party of England and Wales | 485 | 04 May 2023 |
| Chudleigh | Richard Michael Keeling | Liberal Democrats | 916 | 04 May 2023 |
| Chudleigh | Suzanne Sanders | Liberal Democrats | 797 | 04 May 2023 |
| Crediton Boniface | Jim Cairney | Liberal Democrats | 497 | 04 May 2023 |
| Crediton Boniface | John Morris Downes | Liberal Democrats | 494 | 04 May 2023 |
| Crediton Lawrence | Frank William Letch | Liberal Democrats | 611 | 04 May 2023 |
| Crediton Lawrence | Guy Cochran | Liberal Democrats | 556 | 04 May 2023 |
| Drewsteignton | Steven William Guthrie | Green Party of England and Wales | 292 | 04 May 2023 |
| Exbourne | Louise Sacha Watts | Conservative and Unionist Party | 613 | 04 May 2023 |
| Exbourne | Mike Casbolt | Conservative and Unionist Party | 575 | 04 May 2023 |
| Hatherleigh | Patrick John Derek Kimber | Conservative and Unionist Party | 579 | 04 May 2023 |
| Hatherleigh | Samantha Jane Wakeham | Conservative and Unionist Party | 430 | 04 May 2023 |
| Haytor | Robert Howard Steemson | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 483 | 04 May 2023 |
| Kenn Valley | Charles John Sinclair Nuttall | Liberal Democrats | 1,270 | 04 May 2023 |
| Kenn Valley | John Humphrey Parrott | Liberal Democrats | 1,076 | 04 May 2023 |
| Kenn Valley | Kevin Andrew Lake | Conservative and Unionist Party | 919 | 04 May 2023 |
| Moretonhampstead | John Farrand-Rogers | Liberal Democrats | 558 | 04 May 2023 |
| Okehampton North | George Dexter | Liberal Democrats | 428 | 04 May 2023 |
| Okehampton North | Kevin Ball | Conservative and Unionist Party | 548 | 04 May 2023 |
| Okehampton North | Tony Leech | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 695 | 04 May 2023 |
| Okehampton South | Malcolm William Calder | Green Party of England and Wales | 417 | 04 May 2023 |
| Okehampton South | Paul Richard Vachon | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 433 | 04 May 2023 |
| Sandford Creedy | Helen Marie Tuffin | Green Party of England and Wales | 632 | 04 May 2023 |
| Sandford Creedy | Mark Jenkins | Green Party of England and Wales | 576 | 04 May 2023 |
| Silverton | Josh Wright | Liberal Democrats | 500 | 04 May 2023 |
| South Tawton | Lynn Christine Daniel | Green Party of England and Wales | 476 | 04 May 2023 |
| Taw Vale | Steve Keable | Liberal Democrats | 444 | 04 May 2023 |
| Teign Valley | Andrew Swain | Liberal Democrats | 627 | 04 May 2023 |
| Teign Valley | Stephen John Kinross Purser | Conservative and Unionist Party | 764 | 04 May 2023 |
| Upper Yeo Taw | Alex White | Liberal Democrats | 405 | 07 Mar 2024 |
| Way | Polly Colthorpe | Conservative and Unionist Party | 351 | 04 May 2023 |
| Yeo | Martin David Binks | Conservative and Unionist Party | 490 | 04 May 2023 |
| Yeo | Sandy Chenore | Liberal Democrats | 553 | 04 May 2023 |
I · Demographics
| Indicator | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 99,652 | Electorate 75,385 (2024) |
| Median age | 49 | years |
| Degree-educated | 35.0% | level 4 or above |
| Ethnicity (White) | 97.8% | 2021 Census ethnic group |
| Owner-occupied | 72.1% | households |
| Private-rented | 18.0% | households |
| Social-rented | 9.9% | households |
| Employment rate | 56.7% | 16-64 in work |
J · Public spending
HMT publishes headline spending identifiable by region in PESA. Constituency-level capital allocations (Levelling-Up Fund, Towns Fund, UKSPF, transport capital, BEIS R&D) are published as separate departmental datasets. We are evaluating the cleanest reconciliation for a per-constituency view.