Edinburgh South West / data
Dr Scott Arthur · Labour Party · sitting since 04 Jul 2024 · every division, speech and committee appearance.
Since election
659days
from 04 Jul 2024
Divisions
428
of 504 possible
Attendance
85%
76 absent / paired
Whip alignment
97%
vs party majority
Speeches
303
148 debates
Written Qs
462
444 answered
Committees
1
memberships
Expenses
£174k paid
FY 2024–2025 · 143 claims
Interests
4
2 categories
A · Overview
Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted — engagement only, not direction.
| Issue | Volume | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Taxation | 90 | |
| Economy | 70 | |
| Crime & Policing | 44 | |
| Employment | 38 | |
| Welfare and Benefits | 29 | |
| Education | 28 | |
| Constitution and Democracy | 26 | |
| Housing | 24 |
Speech topics
Words spoken, by topic. Source: Hansard.
| Topic | Debates | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Economy Jobs | 67 | 19,443 |
| Health | 33 | 18,920 |
| Social Care | 36 | 12,456 |
| Local Government | 23 | 7,899 |
| Defence | 42 | 6,305 |
| Fiscal Policy | 23 | 6,167 |
| Education | 11 | 5,687 |
| Culture Community | 16 | 5,434 |
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 77Vote on an amendment to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill that would prevent someone from qualifying as 'terminally ill' under th… | Free vote | No |
| 20 Jun 2025 | Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Amendment 12Vote on whether to add a provision to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill ensuring that if an independent doctor dies or becomes to… | Free vote | Aye |
| 20 Jun 2025 | Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: New Clause 16A procedural vote on whether to allow New Clause 16 to be formally considered as part of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at Rep… | Free vote | Aye |
C · Speeches
| Date | Contribution | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Apr 2026 | Government Procurement StrategyI thank the Minister for his answer to the urgent question. It is common sense that we use the Government’s procurement power to support British jobs, but sadly that common sense i… Economy JobsTechnologyDefence | 160 |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Children’s Wellbeing and Schools BillI know that this is an important subject for the right hon. Lady personally, but Labour MPs have not voted against a ban; they have voted for a consultation. They have voted to lis… EducationTechnologySocial Care | 67 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Peter Mandelson: Government AppointmentI am not in the Peter Mandelson fan club—I am old enough to remember his first life in government—but this morning we heard that UKVS had judged him to be a borderline risk and tha… Mp PerformanceDefenceEconomy Jobs | 55 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Peter Mandelson: Government Appointmentrose— Mp PerformanceDefenceEconomy Jobs | 1 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | English Devolution and Community Empowerment BillAny progress on banning pavement parking is progress, so I absolutely welcome that. Will guidance be given to local authorities on how that could work? We have a ban in Edinburgh, … Local GovernmentHousingEnvironment | 71 |
| 20 Apr 2026 | Antisemitic AttacksFor most of my life, the UK was becoming a more tolerant society, so it really pains me that in recent years we have been going backwards; that is particularly true of the hate and… CrimeDefenceCulture Community | 157 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Neuroendocrine CancerI am grateful for the opportunity to bring this vital issue to the House. The term neuroendocrine cancer may not be familiar to many, but tens of thousands of people across the Uni… HealthSocial Care | 1,354 |
| 15 Apr 2026 | Strategic Defence Review: FundingI am proud to be part of a Government who are building ships in Scotland, whereas our Scottish Government colleagues are building ferries in Poland, Turkey and now China. Quite inc… DefenceFiscal PolicyEconomy Jobs | 272 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | “For Women Scotland” Court Ruling: First AnniversaryI know this is a really important subject to the hon. Lady. Of course, the Government received the revised draft guidance only yesterday and they issued a statement today. It is im… Social CareHealthCulture Community | 95 |
| 13 Apr 2026 | Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory BillI thank the Minister for working over many months with our allies on this issue to reach agreement in our national interest and theirs. He has remained consistent on this issue and… DefenceFiscal Policy | 128 |
| 24 Mar 2026 | Oil and GasAs ever, the hon. Lady speaks with great passion on this issue. She started by talking about Jackdaw. She must recognise that her party made a complete mess of that, which is why i… EnergyEconomy JobsEnvironment | 73 |
| 24 Mar 2026 | Oil and GasWill the hon. Lady give way? EnergyEconomy JobsEnvironment | 6 |
| 23 Mar 2026 | Puberty Blockers Clinical TrialI believe that a trial for puberty blockers is necessary, and I am hopeful that the issues raised between the MHRA and King’s College can be resolved to allow the PATHWAYS trial to… Health | 360 |
| 11 Mar 2026 | Lord Mandelson: Response to Humble Address MotionI thank the Minister for his statement and also for the tone in which he has brought it here today. It has been quite an open statement in terms of the discussion. As a Government,… Mp PerformanceFiscal PolicyOther | 126 |
| 09 Mar 2026 | Social Cohesion Action PlanThank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, I think we are easily confused. Yesterday I attended Open Heavens church in Wester Hailes, and a man told me how he had faced open racism from his … CrimeCulture CommunityImmigration | 144 |
D · Written questions
Top departments
| Department | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Department for Transport | 84 | 18.2% |
| Department of Health and Social Care | 52 | 11.3% |
| Treasury | 45 | 9.7% |
| Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | 40 | 8.7% |
| Home Office | 38 | 8.2% |
| Department for Work and Pensions | 35 | 7.6% |
| Department for Education | 26 | 5.6% |
| Department for Culture, Media and Sport | 24 | 5.2% |
Most recent
| Date | Department | Question | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Apr 2026 | Department for Transport | To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will publish guidance on maximising the potential safety impact of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems technologies through calibration. | Pending |
| 24 Apr 2026 | Department for Education | To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how she plans to support women’s groups who wish to remain trans inclusive in the context of the updated EHRC Code of Practice. | Pending |
| 24 Apr 2026 | Department for Transport | To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she is considering mandating an assessment of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems as part of the MOT test. | Pending |
| 24 Apr 2026 | Department for Transport | To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has assessed the potential impact of (a) defective and (b) poorly maintained Advanced Driver Assistance Systems on road (i) fatalities and (ii) serious injuries over the last decade. | Pending |
| 24 Apr 2026 | Department for Transport | To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she is considering mandating the calibration of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems when vehicle’s windscreens are replaced. | Pending |
| 23 Apr 2026 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with the Financial Conduct Authority and other relevant regulators on improving accessibility in digital banking; and what the outcomes were of those discussions. | Pending |
| 23 Apr 2026 | Department for Education | To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with her counterparts in the devolved Administrations about harmonising support for mobile children in Armed Forces families. | Pending |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Department for Transport | To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timetable is for the UK’s potential accession to EUROFIMA; and what the next steps are in the Government’s consideration of participation. | Pending |
| 20 Apr 2026 | Home Office | To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help ensure people in England and Wales cannot use home delivery services to order alcohol while intoxicated. | Pending |
| 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 effectiveness of the Disability Confident Scheme. | Pending |
| 17 Apr 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what date range of claims for the War Pensions Scheme is currently being processed by officials. | Pending |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make it her policy to take account of the impact of SUVs on (a) road maintenance, (b) pedestrian safety, and (c) public space in vehicle taxation. | Pending |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the UN's press release entitled UN High Commissioner for Human Rights warns agai… | Pending |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Department for Science, Innovation and Technology | To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps the Government is taking to support the development of quantum communications technologies in Scotland. | Pending |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make it her policy to bring in (a) relief and (b) reduction in Vehicle Excise Duty rates for UK-manufactured battery electric vehicles. | Pending |
E · Committees
| Committee | Role | House | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transport 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 | 104 | 28,989 | 16.7% |
| Accommodation | 20 | 13,074 | 7.5% |
| Staffing | 7 | 110,053 | 63.4% |
| MP Travel | 0 | 10,850 | 6.3% |
| Staff Travel | 0 | 10,049 | 5.8% |
| Dependant Travel | 0 | 488 | 0.3% |
Top itemised cost types
| Cost type | Category | Claims | Paid (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equipment - purchase | Office Costs | 38 | 9,941 |
| Rent | Office Costs | 3 | 6,829 |
| Rent | Accommodation | 5 | 6,637 |
| Hotel - London | Accommodation | 10 | 5,916 |
| Bought-in services | Staffing | 3 | 3,151 |
| Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | Office Costs | 4 | 1,918 |
| Utilities | Office Costs | 12 | 1,733 |
| Software & applications | Office Costs | 3 | 1,706 |
| Advertising and contact cards | Office Costs | 5 | 1,050 |
| Stationery & printing | Office Costs | 11 | 1,030 |
| Maintenance, Redecorations & Repairs | Office Costs | 2 | 978 |
| Cleaning services | Office Costs | 5 | 904 |
Most recent
| Date | Category | Description | Paid (£) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Utilities | Electricity | 86 | Paid |
| 01 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Utilities | Gas | 134 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Staffing Training - staff | Staff training [200012600-7] | 409 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Cleaning services | Office cleaning [200012600-5] | 181 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | 19 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Sundries | 0 | Repaid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Sundries | 0 | Repaid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Sundries | 0 | Repaid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Sundries | 0 | Repaid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Rent | 2024-25 [***] rent pro-rata | -963 | Paid |
| 29 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | [200011725-10355] | 77 | Paid |
| 26 Mar 2025 | Staffing Bought-in services | Professional & consultancy | 625 | Paid |
| 26 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | 280 | Paid |
| 25 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - hire | Other office equipment | 600 | Paid |
| 24 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Office furniture | 427 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | 42 | Paid |
| 18 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Rent | Rent | 1,900 | Paid |
| 17 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Advertising and contact cards | Local newspaper | 650 | Paid |
| 17 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Internet | 42 | Paid |
| 17 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | 39 | 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
29 Apr 2025
Name of donor: (1) YES Foundation (2) Zhytomyr Administration (3) Kyivstar (4) UK Friends of Ukraine (5) Bulldog Political Consulting
Address of donor: (1) Raffingers Llp Unit, 19-20 Bourne Court, Southend Road, Woodford Green, Essex IG8 8HD (2) 25 Mala Berdichivska str., Zhytomyr, Ukraine, 10014 (3) 53 Degtyarivska St, Kiev, Kyiv City, 03113, Ukraine (4) 81 High Street, Cosham, Portsmouth PO6 3BL (5) 81 High Street, Cosham, Portsmouth PO6 3BL
Estimate of the probable value (or amount of any donation): (1) Attendance at the YES Conference in Kyiv, value £92.11 (2) Transport and buffet lunch, value £25 (3) Dinner and briefing in Kyiv with delegation, value £50 (4) Bus transport in Kyiv and Lviv, value £25.86 (5) Dinner in Lviv, value £86.20
Destination of visit: Ukraine
Dates of visit: 21 February 2025 to 25 February 2025
Purpose of visit: To promote and strengthen relations between the UK and Ukrainian parliaments
(Registered 23 April 2025)
8. Miscellaneous3 entries
16 Aug 2024
Kirk Session Member (trustee) of Fairmilehead Parish Church (Church of Scotland), Frogston Road, Edinburgh. This is an unpaid role.
(Registered 2 August 2024)
29 Apr 2025
University and College Union Member (Heriot-Watt University Branch)
Date interest arose: 4 July 2024
(Registered 23 April 2025)
16 Aug 2024
Name of donor: Heriot-Watt University
I am currently on an unpaid career break from my position as Chair of Urban Water Management at Heriot-Watt University.
Date interest arose: 1 August 2024
Date interest ended: 5 July 2029
(Registered 2 August 2024)
H · Ward results
Most recent winning councillor in each ward — 2 wards, 6 councillor seats.
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Votes | Election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colintonfairmilehead | Jason Rust | Conservative and Unionist Party | — | 05 May 2022 |
| Colintonfairmilehead | Marco Biagi | Scottish National Party (SNP) | — | 05 May 2022 |
| Colintonfairmilehead | Scott Arthur | Labour Party | — | 05 May 2022 |
| Fountainbridgecraiglockhart | Christopher Cowdy | Conservative and Unionist Party | — | 05 May 2022 |
| Fountainbridgecraiglockhart | David Key | Scottish National Party (SNP) | — | 05 May 2022 |
| Fountainbridgecraiglockhart | Val Walker | Labour Party | — | 05 May 2022 |
I · Demographics
Demographic profile unavailable for this constituency.
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.