East Thanet / data
Ms Polly Billington · Labour Party · sitting since 04 Jul 2024 · every division, speech and committee appearance.
Since election
659days
from 04 Jul 2024
Divisions
420
of 504 possible
Attendance
83%
84 absent / paired
Whip alignment
97%
vs party majority
Speeches
410
77 debates
Written Qs
53
53 answered
Committees
1
memberships
Expenses
£163k paid
FY 2024–2025 · 84 claims
Interests
1
1 category
A · Overview
Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted — engagement only, not direction.
| Issue | Volume | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Taxation | 92 | |
| Economy | 87 | |
| Employment | 46 | |
| Crime & Policing | 36 | |
| Education | 32 | |
| Constitution and Democracy | 27 | |
| Welfare and Benefits | 24 | |
| Housing | 23 |
Speech topics
Words spoken, by topic. Source: Hansard.
| Topic | Debates | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Economy Jobs | 34 | 6,004 |
| Local Government | 12 | 3,976 |
| Social Care | 13 | 2,684 |
| Transport | 4 | 2,532 |
| Environment | 9 | 1,919 |
| Culture Community | 8 | 1,766 |
| Other | 6 | 1,584 |
| Defence | 9 | 1,497 |
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: Amendment 24Vote on whether to prevent someone from qualifying as 'terminally ill' under the assisted dying bill solely because they have chosen to stop… | Free vote | Aye |
| 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 | No |
| 20 Jun 2025 | Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Amendment 94Vote on whether to prevent someone from qualifying as 'terminally ill' under the assisted dying bill solely because they have voluntarily st… | Free vote | No |
C · Speeches
| Date | Contribution | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Apr 2026 | Business of the HouseSt George’s day is an appropriate time to ask my right hon. Friend about progress in the implementation of the veterans covenant across the public sector. Thanet has a significant … Local GovernmentEconomy JobsEnergy | 89 |
| 23 Apr 2026 | Topical QuestionsI am grateful to my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister for confirming that he will chair a new contingency planning ministerial group to develop resilience… DefenceTechnologyEconomy Jobs | 93 |
| 20 Apr 2026 | ApprenticeshipsI appreciate the efforts that Ministers and the Government are making to offer apprenticeships. In coastal towns such as Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate in my constituency, the g… EducationEconomy JobsLabour Market | 90 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | British Industrial Competitiveness SchemeI thank my right hon. Friend for this statement and, importantly, for recognising the energy-intensive industries, especially those that are essential for growth and without which … EnergyEconomy Jobs | 132 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Business of the HouseMy right hon. Friend will be aware that, in a couple of weeks’ time, Sir David Attenborough will celebrate his 100th birthday. [Hon. Members: “Hear, hear!”] I am sure that my right… DefenceLocal GovernmentHealth | 107 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Women’s Health StrategyI thank my hon. Friend for her announcement of this strategy. In particular, I welcome the fact that the strategy says that it will be made simpler and faster for women to access t… HealthSocial Care | 156 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Cancer Treatment14. What steps his Department is taking to support the treatment of cancer patients. HealthSocial Care | 14 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Cancer TreatmentI welcome my hon. Friend to her place and congratulate her on her appointment. I noticed in the cancer plan the commitment to fill NHS workforce gaps in coastal towns such as mine—… HealthSocial Care | 73 |
| 13 Apr 2026 | Middle EastI am grateful to my right hon. and learned Friend for his statement and note the emphasis he has put on there being no return to the status quo, particularly in relation to the imp… DefenceEnergyCost Of Living | 109 |
| 24 Mar 2026 | Oil and GasDoes the right hon. Lady agree with her shadow Energy Minister, the hon. Member for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine (Andrew Bowie), when he said: “Look, nobody’s saying that net … EnergyEconomy JobsEnvironment | 60 |
| 24 Mar 2026 | Household Energy BillsMy right hon. Friend will be aware that this energy crisis offers the opportunity to shift further and faster on clean energy. Will he consider an energy social tariff linked to th… EnergyCost Of LivingFiscal Policy | 61 |
| 16 Mar 2026 | Point of Orderindicated assent. Other | 2 |
| 16 Mar 2026 | Point of OrderOn a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. In Thanet, we are welcoming to people who play by the rules, but unfortunately it appears that the right hon. Member for Newark (Robert J… Other | 90 |
| 16 Mar 2026 | Heating Oil SupportI am very grateful to my hon. Friend for his statement. Giving support to people who are off grid is vital; however, Thanet Earth, which is near my constituency and employs a numbe… Cost Of LivingUtilitiesEconomy Jobs | 100 |
| 16 Mar 2026 | Lord Mandelson: Response to Humble AddressMuch of the discussion has been about tightening up the process. It has become increasingly clear from the documents already in the public domain that this is as much to do with th… Mp PerformanceFiscal PolicyCrime | 70 |
D · Written questions
Top departments
| Department | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Department for Education | 10 | 18.9% |
| Department for Energy Security and Net Zero | 8 | 15.1% |
| Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | 7 | 13.2% |
| Department for Work and Pensions | 7 | 13.2% |
| Department for Culture, Media and Sport | 5 | 9.4% |
| Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | 5 | 9.4% |
| Department of Health and Social Care | 4 | 7.5% |
| Department for Transport | 4 | 7.5% |
Most recent
| Date | Department | Question | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Apr 2026 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of conducting a national audit of Do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation orders for patients with learning disabilitie… | Answered |
| 10 Apr 2026 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending Do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation forms to include a confirmation of consultation field that must be sign… | Answered |
| 11 Mar 2026 | Home Office | To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to publish the report on the College of Policing and National Police Chiefs’ Council review and recommendations on Non-Crime Hate Incidents. | Answered |
| 25 Feb 2026 | Department for Energy Security and Net Zero | To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussion he has had with National Grid Electricity Transmission on the siting of new substations and the consenting process for renewable projects under the Development… | Answered |
| 24 Feb 2026 | Department for Energy Security and Net Zero | To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department made of the potential merits of delaying connection offers for some protected battery projects and data centres to allow NESO and DESNZ to undert… | Answered |
| 10 Dec 2025 | 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 Ofgem about the balance between standing charges and unit rates for farmer and grower businesses. | Answered |
| 10 Oct 2025 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help increase early diagnosis for blood cancer. | Answered |
| 10 Oct 2025 | Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had recent discussions with her Israeli counterpart on ending the detention of Palestinian children in Israeli prisons. | Answered |
| 26 Jun 2025 | Department for Education | To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to include skills training for nature restoration and ecological programmes as part of the new Technical Excellence Colleges. | Answered |
| 26 Jun 2025 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an estimate of the potential number of jobs that can be created from nature restoration projects. | Answered |
| 25 Jun 2025 | Department for Education | To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Enrichment Framework will (a) provide a minimum of 80 hours of enrichment across the academic year and (b) be in addition to curriculum time for arts subjects. | Answered |
| 25 Jun 2025 | Department for Education | To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of art and design education on the school-readiness of children entering primary school. | Answered |
| 25 Jun 2025 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to include a strategic nature restoration programme within the Land Use Framework. | Answered |
| 25 Jun 2025 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Learning Disability annual health check has been removed as a national target for primary care in the 2025-26 NHS plan. | Answered |
| 25 Jun 2025 | Department for Education | To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of art and design education on outcomes for students with SEND. | Answered |
E · Committees
| Committee | Role | House | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy Security and Net Zero CommitteeSelect | Member | Commons | 21 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 | 64 | 19,999 | 12.3% |
| Accommodation | 9 | 10,983 | 6.7% |
| Staffing | 5 | 130,164 | 80.0% |
| MP Travel | 0 | 1,184 | 0.7% |
| Staff Travel | 0 | 413 | 0.3% |
Top itemised cost types
| Cost type | Category | Claims | Paid (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | Accommodation | 8 | 10,166 |
| Equipment - purchase | Office Costs | 8 | 5,383 |
| Bought-in services | Staffing | 5 | 4,430 |
| Rent | Office Costs | 3 | 3,718 |
| Pooled staffing services | Office Costs | 1 | 3,000 |
| Bought-in services | Office Costs | 4 | 2,725 |
| Software & applications | Office Costs | 3 | 2,191 |
| Stationery & printing | Office Costs | 35 | 1,674 |
| Council tax | Accommodation | 1 | 817 |
| Business rates | Office Costs | 1 | 584 |
| Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | Office Costs | 5 | 371 |
| Advertising and contact cards | Office Costs | 1 | 160 |
Most recent
| Date | Category | Description | Paid (£) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02 Nov 2025 | Office Costs Bought-in services | Professional & consultancy | 75 | Paid |
| 17 Apr 2025 | Accommodation Council tax | TDC Council Tax [200011793-295] | 817 | Paid |
| 16 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | 2,520 | Paid |
| 14 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Advertising and contact cards | SHARP PRINTING [200011793-302] | 160 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Rent | 2024-25 [***] rent pro-rata | -684 | Paid |
| 29 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | 50 | Paid |
| 28 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Office furniture | 669 | Paid |
| 28 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Computer, laptop, PC, tablet & accessories | 109 | Paid |
| 21 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Landline & internet package | 67 | Paid |
| 21 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | [200011725-6889] | 50 | Paid |
| 21 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Internet | 44 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 186 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 29 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 28 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 26 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 19 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 16 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 16 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 15 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 12 | 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.
4. Visits outside the UK1 entry
18 Nov 2025
Name of donor: Parliamentary Renewable & Sustainable Energy Group (PRASEG) Secretariat for the APPG for Renewable & Sustainable Energy
Address of donor: PRASEG, 10 Dean Farrar Street, London SW1H 0DX
Estimate of the probable value (or amount of any donation): Accommodation, return flights and subsistence, value £808
Destination of visit: Denmark (Copenhagen)
Dates of visit: 23 October 2025 to 24 October 2025
Purpose of visit: APPG visit to high-level meetings and site visits in Copenhagen cross-channel cooperation for decarbonising heat and energy.
(Registered 14 November 2025)
H · Ward results
Most recent winning councillor in each ward — 17 wards, 41 councillor seats.
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Votes | Election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beacon Road | Jenny Matterface | Labour Party | 694 | 04 May 2023 |
| Beacon Road | Joanne Janet Bright | Labour Party | 620 | 04 May 2023 |
| Bradstowe | George Henry Rusiecki | Conservative and Unionist Party | 525 | 04 May 2023 |
| Bradstowe | Jill Louise Bayford | Conservative and Unionist Party | 524 | 04 May 2023 |
| Central Harbour | Becky Wing | Green Party of England and Wales | 936 | 04 May 2023 |
| Central Harbour | Raushan Ara | Labour Party | 1,157 | 04 May 2023 |
| Central Harbour | Tricia Austin | Green Party of England and Wales | 852 | 04 May 2023 |
| Cliffsend Pegwell | Brenda Marilyn Rogers | Conservative and Unionist Party | 571 | 04 May 2023 |
| Cliffsend Pegwell | John William Davis | Conservative and Unionist Party | 516 | 04 May 2023 |
| Cliftonville East | Barry Kenneth Manners | Conservative and Unionist Party | 985 | 04 May 2023 |
| Cliftonville East | Cedric Leslie Towning | Conservative and Unionist Party | 852 | 04 May 2023 |
| Cliftonville East | Marc Rattigan | Conservative and Unionist Party | 912 | 04 May 2023 |
| Cliftonville West | Alan Robert Currie | Labour Party | 972 | 04 May 2023 |
| Cliftonville West | Harry Scobie | Labour Party | 872 | 04 May 2023 |
| Cliftonville West | Heather Keen | Labour Party | 901 | 04 May 2023 |
| Dane Valley | Jack Nicholas Packman | Labour Party | 719 | 04 May 2023 |
| Dane Valley | Martin John Boyd | Labour Party | 709 | 04 May 2023 |
| Dane Valley | Ruth Duckworth | Labour Party | 754 | 04 May 2023 |
| Eastcliff | Corinna Frances Huxley | Labour Party | 775 | 04 May 2023 |
| Eastcliff | Helen Brenda Crittenden | Labour Party | 811 | 04 May 2023 |
| Eastcliff | Stephen Albon | Labour Party | 741 | 04 May 2023 |
| Kingsgate | Alan Munns | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 366 | 04 May 2023 |
| Margate Central | Helen Elizabeth Whitehead | Labour Party | 504 | 04 May 2023 |
| Margate Central | Rob Yates | Labour Party | 481 | 04 May 2023 |
| Nethercourt | Anne-Marie Nixey | Labour Party | 574 | 04 May 2023 |
| Nethercourt | David Green | Labour Party | 547 | 04 May 2023 |
| Newington | Pat Moore | Labour Party | 414 | 04 May 2023 |
| Newington | Rick Everitt | Labour Party | 393 | 04 May 2023 |
| Northwood | Debra Owen-Hughes | Labour Party | 553 | 04 May 2023 |
| Northwood | Jim Driver | Labour Party | 563 | 04 May 2023 |
| Northwood | Will Scobie | Labour Party | 554 | 04 May 2023 |
| Salmestone | Katie Elizabeth Pope | Labour Party | 491 | 04 May 2023 |
| Salmestone | Leo David Britcher | Labour Party | 470 | 04 May 2023 |
| Sir Moses Montefiore | Pat Makinson | Labour Party | 452 | 04 May 2023 |
| Sir Moses Montefiore | Tony Ovenden | Labour Party | 449 | 04 May 2023 |
| St Peters | Kevin Pressland | Green Party of England and Wales | 664 | 04 May 2023 |
| St Peters | Mike Garner | Green Party of England and Wales | 849 | 04 May 2023 |
| St Peters | Paul Moore | Conservative and Unionist Party | 664 | 04 May 2023 |
| Viking | John Nichols | Conservative and Unionist Party | 786 | 04 May 2023 |
| Viking | Kristian Matthew Bright | Labour Party | 786 | 04 May 2023 |
| Viking | Roopa Raman Farooki | Labour Party | 863 | 04 May 2023 |
I · Demographics
| Indicator | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 106,516 | Electorate 74,927 (2024) |
| Median age | 43 | years |
| Degree-educated | 26.7% | level 4 or above |
| Ethnicity (White) | 92.1% | 2021 Census ethnic group |
| Owner-occupied | 58.0% | households |
| Private-rented | 28.9% | households |
| Social-rented | 13.1% | households |
| Employment rate | 51.7% | 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.