Chippenham / data
Sarah Gibson · Liberal Democrats · sitting since 04 Jul 2024 · every division, speech and committee appearance.
Since election
660days
from 04 Jul 2024
Divisions
320
of 504 possible
Attendance
63%
184 absent / paired
Whip alignment
100%
vs party majority
Speeches
155
31 debates
Written Qs
385
385 answered
Committees
1
memberships
Expenses
£230k paid
FY 2024–2025 · 135 claims
Interests
24
3 categories
A · Overview
Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted — engagement only, not direction.
| Issue | Volume | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Economy | 59 | |
| Taxation | 58 | |
| Employment | 36 | |
| Crime & Policing | 32 | |
| Welfare and Benefits | 27 | |
| Constitution and Democracy | 21 | |
| Education | 21 | |
| Local Government | 14 |
Speech topics
Words spoken, by topic. Source: Hansard.
| Topic | Debates | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Economy Jobs | 6 | 4,122 |
| Technology | 3 | 2,702 |
| Fiscal Policy | 2 | 1,776 |
| Housing | 5 | 1,762 |
| Education | 2 | 1,283 |
| Local Government | 5 | 421 |
| Cost Of Living | 2 | 416 |
| Environment | 3 | 413 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Mar 2025 | Tobacco and Vapes Bill: Third ReadingMPs voted to pass the Tobacco and Vapes Bill at its final stage in the Commons. The Bill aims to create a 'smokefree generation' by graduall… | Rebelled | No |
C · Speeches
| Date | Contribution | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 24 Mar 2026 | Electricity Grid Connections10. What recent progress he has made on improving connections to the electricity grid. EnergyEconomy Jobs | 14 |
| 24 Mar 2026 | Electricity Grid ConnectionsThe grid connections reform process was intended to improve investor confidence by removing zombie projects and prioritising shovel-ready projects, but repeated delays from NESO me… EnergyEconomy Jobs | 100 |
| 10 Mar 2026 | Environmental Audit Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1749)A much smaller scale. | 4 |
| 10 Mar 2026 | Environmental Audit Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1749)Going back to the quantities, which you have highlighted, that are there for investment until 2036—£10.5 billion sounds like a nice sum of money. What levels of reduction do you th… | 80 |
| 10 Mar 2026 | Environmental Audit Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1749)Thank you, Minister, for responding to our questions. I am just going back to the OEP’s progress report. It made recommendations regarding nature-friendly farming, picking up on so… | 109 |
| 10 Mar 2026 | Environmental Audit Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1749)Thank you. I will. | 4 |
| 10 Mar 2026 | Environmental Audit Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1749)There are industry bodies that may disagree with you, but I will leave that for the consultation. I am sure they will respond. | 23 |
| 10 Mar 2026 | Environmental Audit Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1749)The reason I wanted to highlight that is that the farmers in my constituency who have been attempting nature-friendly farming have, to date, found that inconsistency of funding and… | 58 |
| 10 Mar 2026 | Environmental Audit Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1749)Yes, I will give you more details. Thank you. | 9 |
| 10 Mar 2026 | Environmental Audit Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1749)The only other question on housing and flooding would be that we are seeing an issue where properties are becoming uninsurable on flooding because of their location. What analysis … | 48 |
| 10 Mar 2026 | Environmental Audit Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1749)I have several questions. The Government highlighted £10.5 billion for flood resistance. Picking up on my colleague’s comments about the NPPF, I wonder what assessment DEFRA has ma… | 126 |
| 04 Mar 2026 | Healthcare in Rural AreasDoes the hon. Member agree that rural communities, such as mine and his, and villages such as Lyneham, which is famous for its serious airbase and is full of veterans, now find the… HealthLocal GovernmentHousing | 71 |
| 02 Mar 2026 | Public Right to a Vote of No ConfidenceIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Barker. I thank the Petitions Committee for this important debate, and the 120,000 people across the country who signed the peti… Mp PerformanceEconomy JobsFiscal Policy | 223 |
| 24 Feb 2026 | Local Transport: Planning DevelopmentsThe latest NPPF makes it clear that transport planning and infrastructure should be designed in at the outset, but my rural constituency has seen continuous large-scale development… HousingTransportLocal Government | 96 |
| 28 Jan 2026 | Environmental Audit Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1653)Following on from that, have the Government given you any indication of their rationale for changing the target, why they have changed the way that they have measured this? | 29 |
D · Written questions
Top departments
| Department | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Health and Social Care | 115 | 29.9% |
| Department for Work and Pensions | 44 | 11.4% |
| Department for Education | 41 | 10.6% |
| Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | 41 | 10.6% |
| Department for Transport | 22 | 5.7% |
| Ministry of Defence | 20 | 5.2% |
| Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | 19 | 4.9% |
| Treasury | 17 | 4.4% |
Most recent
| Date | Department | Question | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Mar 2026 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the cause of the persistent odour affecting residents in Calne, Wiltshire; and what steps her Department is taking to e… | Answered |
| 23 Feb 2026 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many children under the age of 18 were newly diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in each of the last five years, and how many of those cases involved hospital admission through accide… | Answered |
| 20 Feb 2026 | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of the 10% commission charge on park home residents requiring residential care in Wiltshire. | Answered |
| 20 Feb 2026 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the new Sustainable Farming Incentive offer will include long-term organic maintenance payments that take into account the level of similar payments offered in t… | Answered |
| 20 Feb 2026 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to retain dedicated payment rates for (a) organic conversion and (b) organic maintenance within the revised Sustainable Farming Incentive. | Answered |
| 20 Feb 2026 | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many applications for Fit and Proper Person status have been (a) granted, (b) refused and (c) granted subject to conditions since The Mobile Homes (Requirement… | Answered |
| 26 Jan 2026 | Department for Business and Trade | To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to encourage investment into the UK hydrogen technology manufacturing sector. | Answered |
| 26 Jan 2026 | Department for Science, Innovation and Technology | To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to support investment into research and development across the hydrogen technology manufacturing sector. | Answered |
| 26 Jan 2026 | Department for Energy Security and Net Zero | To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what funding will be allocated to the UK hydrogen and fuel cell technology manufacturing sector through the Great British Energy £1 billion ‘Energy: Engineered in the UK’ suppl… | Answered |
| 26 Jan 2026 | Department for Energy Security and Net Zero | To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to help ensure that UK hydrogen and fuel cell technology manufacturers benefit from the comprehensive Public Financial Institution offer set out in the… | Answered |
| 26 Jan 2026 | Department for Transport | To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential for UK hydrogen and fuel cell technologies to contribute to the decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors such as (a) heavy machinery and (… | Answered |
| 13 Jan 2026 | Department for Energy Security and Net Zero | To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has considered the impact of recommendations 11,12 and 19 of the Nuclear Regulatory Review 2025 on progress towards achieving the Government’s nature recovery target… | Answered |
| 02 Jan 2026 | Department for Energy Security and Net Zero | To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment has he made of the potential merits of NESO introducing interim guidance that bridges the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan and the delayed Strategic Spatial… | Answered |
| 02 Jan 2026 | Department for Energy Security and Net Zero | To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with the National Energy System Operator on the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan. | Answered |
| 02 Jan 2026 | Department for Energy Security and Net Zero | To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if his Department will publish the independent audit reports commissioned on ECO4 delivery in 2025–26. | Answered |
E · Committees
| Committee | Role | House | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Environmental Audit CommitteeSelect | Member | Commons | 28 Oct 2024 | present |
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 | 101 | 19,203 | 8.3% |
| Accommodation | 12 | 19,152 | 8.3% |
| Staffing | 1 | 182,406 | 79.2% |
| MP Travel | 0 | 2,992 | 1.3% |
| Staff Travel | 0 | 6,390 | 2.8% |
| Dependant Travel | 0 | 146 | 0.1% |
Top itemised cost types
| Cost type | Category | Claims | Paid (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | Accommodation | 9 | 16,847 |
| Equipment - purchase | Office Costs | 19 | 7,041 |
| Pooled staffing services | Staffing | 1 | 4,900 |
| Maintenance, Redecorations & Repairs | Office Costs | 2 | 4,032 |
| Stationery & printing | Office Costs | 45 | 2,602 |
| Software & applications | Office Costs | 4 | 1,928 |
| Council tax | Accommodation | 1 | 1,899 |
| Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | Office Costs | 17 | 1,676 |
| Rent | Office Costs | 4 | 1,224 |
| Advertising and contact cards | Office Costs | 3 | 409 |
| Hotel - London | Accommodation | 2 | 406 |
| Hospitality | Office Costs | 2 | 154 |
Most recent
| Date | Category | Description | Paid (£) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07 Jul 2025 | Office Costs Hospitality | Repayment of claim 60273308:1 | 0 | Repaid |
| 11 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | XMA March 2025 | 334 | Paid |
| 11 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | XMA March 2025 | 334 | Paid |
| 11 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | XMA March 2025 | 205 | Paid |
| 11 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | XMA March 2025 | 205 | Paid |
| 11 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | XMA March 2025 | 205 | Paid |
| 11 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | XMA March 2025 | 205 | Paid |
| 11 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | XMA March 2025 | 205 | Paid |
| 11 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | XMA March 2025 | 205 | Paid |
| 11 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | XMA March 2025 | 72 | Paid |
| 01 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Rent | Rent | 660 | Paid |
| 01 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Rent | Rent | 660 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Rent | 2024-25 [***] rent pro-rata | -660 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Rent | 2024-25 [***] rent pro-rata | -753 | Paid |
| 27 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | 55 | Paid |
| 26 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Maintenance, Redecorations & Repairs | MBBELLS LIMITED [200011726-7915] | 3,708 | Paid |
| 26 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Advertising and contact cards | CORSHAM PRINT [200011725-7957] | 119 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Newspapers, journals, magazines | NEWSQUEST MEDIA GROUP [200011726-7717] [200011799-144] | 35 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 24 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 19 | 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.
1. Employment and earnings22 entries
16 Dec 2025
Payment: £797.90
Received on: 25 January 2025. Hours: 31.6 hrs per month.
(Registered 3 November 2025)
This is a late entry to which the rectification procedure was applied on 8 December 2025. Paragraph 51 of the Procedural Protocol in respect of the Code of Conduct refers.
16 Dec 2025
Payment: £4,064.50
Received on: 25 September 2024. Hours: 36.5 hrs Using TOIL and annual leave.
(Registered 3 November 2025)
This is a late entry to which the rectification procedure was applied on 8 December 2025. Paragraph 51 of the Procedural Protocol in respect of the Code of Conduct refers.
16 Dec 2025
Payment: £797.90
Received on: 25 February 2025. Hours: 31.6 hrs.
(Registered 13 October 2025)
This is a late entry to which the rectification procedure was applied on 8 December 2025. Paragraph 51 of the Procedural Protocol in respect of the Code of Conduct refers.
16 Dec 2025
Payment: £797.90
Received on: 25 November 2024. Hours: 31.6 hrs per month.
(Registered 3 November 2025)
This is a late entry to which the rectification procedure was applied on 8 December 2025. Paragraph 51 of the Procedural Protocol in respect of the Code of Conduct refers.
16 Dec 2025
Payment: £797.90
Received on: 25 October 2024. Hours: 31.5 hrs.
(Registered 13 October 2025)
This is a late entry to which the rectification procedure was applied on 8 December 2025. Paragraph 51 of the Procedural Protocol in respect of the Code of Conduct refers.
16 Dec 2025
Payment: £3,914.50
Received on: 25 August 2024. Hours: 36.5 hrs I was using annual leave and TOIL during this period).
(Registered 13 October 2025)
This is a late entry to which the rectification procedure was applied on 8 December 2025. Paragraph 51 of the Procedural Protocol in respect of the Code of Conduct refers.
16 Dec 2025
Payment: £3,914.50
Received on: 25 July 2024. Hours: 36.5 hrs (I was using some annual leave and TOIL for these months.).
(Registered 13 October 2025)
This is a late entry to which the rectification procedure was applied on 8 December 2025. Paragraph 51 of the Procedural Protocol in respect of the Code of Conduct refers.
18 Nov 2025
Payment: £1,375 this role was unpaid from 26 January 2025
Received on: 25 January 2025. Hours: 5 hrs.
(Registered 13 November 2025)
This is a late entry to which the rectification procedure was applied on 8 December 2025. Paragraph 51 of the Procedural Protocol in respect of the Code of Conduct refers.
18 Nov 2025
Payment: £1,492.78
Received on: 25 December 2024. Hours: 5 hrs.
(Registered 13 November 2025)
This is a late entry to which the rectification procedure was applied on 8 December 2025. Paragraph 51 of the Procedural Protocol in respect of the Code of Conduct refers.
04 Nov 2025
Payment: £825.98
Received on: 25 June 2025. Hours: 31.6 hrs per month.
(Registered 3 November 2025)
This is a late entry to which the rectification procedure was applied on 8 December 2025. Paragraph 51 of the Procedural Protocol in respect of the Code of Conduct refers.
04 Nov 2025
Payment: £837.55
Received on: 25 September 2025. Hours: 31.6 hrs a month.
(Registered 30 October 2025)
This is a late entry to which the rectification procedure was applied on 8 December 2025. Paragraph 51 of the Procedural Protocol in respect of the Code of Conduct refers.
21 Oct 2025
Payment: £837.55
Received on: 25 August 2025. Hours: 31.6 hrs.
(Registered 13 October 2025)
This is a late entry to which the rectification procedure was applied on 8 December 2025. Paragraph 51 of the Procedural Protocol in respect of the Code of Conduct refers.
21 Oct 2025
Payment: £825.98
Received on: 25 July 2025. Hours: 31.6 hrs.
(Registered 13 October 2025)
This is a late entry to which the rectification procedure was applied on 8 December 2025. Paragraph 51 of the Procedural Protocol in respect of the Code of Conduct refers.
21 Oct 2025
Payment: £825.98
Received on: 25 May 2025. Hours: 31.6 hrs.
(Registered 13 October 2025)
This is a late entry to which the rectification procedure was applied on 8 December 2025. Paragraph 51 of the Procedural Protocol in respect of the Code of Conduct refers.
21 Oct 2025
Payment: £825.98
Received on: 25 April 2025. Hours: 31.6 hrs.
(Registered 13 October 2025)
This is a late entry to which the rectification procedure was applied on 8 December 2025. Paragraph 51 of the Procedural Protocol in respect of the Code of Conduct refers.
04 Nov 2025
Payment: £802.48
Received on: 25 March 2025. Hours: 31.6 hrs per month.
(Registered 3 November 2025)
This is a late entry to which the rectification procedure was applied on 8 December 2025. Paragraph 51 of the Procedural Protocol in respect of the Code of Conduct refers.
18 Nov 2025
Remuneration: £1,322.42 a month Exact.
Until: 25 November 2025.
Hours: 5 hrs a week This was a set allowance, rather than a salary.
(Registered 25 July 2024; updated 15 September 2025 and 13 November 2025)
This is a late entry to which the rectification procedure was applied on 8 December 2025. Paragraph 51 of the Procedural Protocol in respect of the Code of Conduct refers.
18 Nov 2025
Role, work or services: Councillor
Until: 30 April 2025.
Payer: Wiltshire Council, Council House, Bourne Hill, Salisbury SP1 3UZ
(Registered 25 July 2024; updated 9 May 2025, 15 September 2025 and 11 November 2025)
This is a late entry to which the rectification procedure was applied on 8 December 2025. Paragraph 51 of the Procedural Protocol in respect of the Code of Conduct refers.
16 Dec 2025
Remuneration: £418.78 a month
From: 1 December 2025.
Hours: 189.8 hrs a year
(Registered 3 December 2025)
16 Dec 2025
Payment: £418.78
Received on: 25 November 2025. Hours: 15.8 hrs.
(Registered 3 December 2025)
04 Nov 2025
Payment: £418.78
Received on: 25 October 2025. Hours: 15.8 hrs a month.
(Registered 30 October 2025)
15 Oct 2025
Role, work or services: Lecturer (Part-Time)
Payer: University of Bath, The University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY
(Registered 1 October 2025)
7. (i) Shareholdings: over 15% of issued share capital1 entry
16 Aug 2024
Name of company or organisation: Labox Ltd
Nature of business: Architectural practice
(Registered 23 July 2024)
8. Miscellaneous1 entry
16 Sept 2025
Bradford on Avon Town Councillor. This is an unpaid role.
Date interest ended: 30 April 2025
(Registered 23 July 2024; updated 9 May 2025)
H · Ward results
Most recent winning councillor in each ward — 19 wards, 19 councillor seats.
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Votes | Election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calne Central | Ian Leslie Thorn | Liberal Democrats | 863 | 06 May 2021 |
| Calne Chilvester Abberd | Robert MacNaughton | Liberal Democrats | 424 | 22 Feb 2024 |
| Calne North | Tom Rounds | Conservative and Unionist Party | 480 | 06 May 2021 |
| Calne Rural | Ashley O'Neill | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,199 | 06 May 2021 |
| Chippenham Cepen Park Derriads | Nic Puntis | Conservative and Unionist Party | 701 | 06 May 2021 |
| Chippenham Cepen Park Hunters Moon | Peter John Hutton | Conservative and Unionist Party | 744 | 06 May 2021 |
| Chippenham Hardenhuish | Kathryn Farrah MacDermid | Liberal Democrats | 665 | 06 May 2021 |
| Chippenham Hardens Central | Liz Alstrom | Liberal Democrats | 935 | 06 May 2021 |
| Chippenham Lowden Rowden | Ross Henning | Liberal Democrats | 444 | 06 May 2021 |
| Chippenham Monkton | Nick Murry | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 1,062 | 06 May 2021 |
| Chippenham Pewsham | Clare Cape | Liberal Democrats | 797 | 06 May 2021 |
| Chippenham Sheldon | Adrian David Foster | Liberal Democrats | 433 | 06 May 2021 |
| Corsham Ladbrook | Ruth Mary Catherine Hopkinson | Liberal Democrats | 1,087 | 06 May 2021 |
| Corsham Pickwick | Helen Belcher | Liberal Democrats | 885 | 06 May 2021 |
| Corsham Without | Derek Charles Walters | Liberal Democrats | 777 | 06 May 2021 |
| Lyneham | Allison Mary Bucknell | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,269 | 06 May 2021 |
| Royal Wootton Bassett South West | David Michael Bowler | Liberal Democrats | 938 | 06 May 2021 |
| Wootton Bassett East | Steve Bucknell | Conservative and Unionist Party | 981 | 06 May 2021 |
| Wootton Bassett North | Mary Isabel Champion | Conservative and Unionist Party | 770 | 06 May 2021 |
I · Demographics
| Indicator | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 90,327 | Electorate 74,107 (2024) |
| Median age | 42 | years |
| Degree-educated | 33.1% | level 4 or above |
| Ethnicity (White) | 94.2% | 2021 Census ethnic group |
| Owner-occupied | 68.9% | households |
| Private-rented | 16.6% | households |
| Social-rented | 14.4% | households |
| Employment rate | 61.9% | 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.