North West · England · 70,581Boundary · 2023

Liverpool Wavertree

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Dispatch
Apr 2026

A safe Lab seat, won with 58% of the vote in 2024. Centred on Liverpool. Population 104,185, notably young (median age 32 vs 41 nationally).

One of Labour's more vocal rebels on welfare, Paula Barker broke with her government three times in a single day in July 2025 -- voting against the final passage of the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill and backing opposition amendments that would have strengthened welfare protections. She then defied the whip again in March 2026, voting against the government's tuition fee rise. These are not procedural footnotes: she publicly explained her welfare stance in a Big Issue article headlined "I'm a Labour MP. This is why I can't support Starmer's benefits cuts," making her one of the more visible left-wing dissenters in the current Parliament. She also entered the race for Labour deputy leader in autumn 2025, positioning herself as a defender of traditional Labour values against the rise of Reform.

At 85% participation and 98% party alignment overall, Barker is engaged and broadly loyal -- the rebel votes stand out precisely because they are selective rather than habitual. Her voting profile is strongly progressive: 100% aligned with progressive taxation stances, 0% with anti-tax or pro-business-interests positions. Her speech activity clusters around social care, cost of living, the economy, and local government -- consistent with her public advocacy on housing (she called for rent increases to be capped below wage growth, citing Liverpool's crisis specifically) and her background in trade union work.

396
Commons votes
This parliament
£27k
Median income
HMRC · 2024
70.6k
Electorate
2024 GE

Lab held for 5 consecutive elections.

Current Member of Parliament

Paula Barker

Paula Barker

Labour Party

Paula Barker is the Labour MP for Liverpool Wavertree, and has been an MP continually since 12 December 2019.

Notable Votes

Vote on regulations to raise university tuition fees in England by 2.71% for 2026-27. The Labour government backed the increase, while opposition MPs (Conservatives) criticised it as an added burden on young people, despite their own party having nearly tripled fees in 2012.

MP voted NoAgainst party majorityLikely whipped

Vote on a technical amendment (New Clause 8) to ensure that Universal Credit payments for claimants in the Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity (LCWRA) group in Northern Ireland rise in line with inflation, supporting a separate duty on the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland. The amendment was backed by left-wing Labour rebels and crossbench MPs opposed to welfare cuts affecting the most vulnerable.

MP voted YesAgainst party majorityLikely whipped

Vote on whether Clauses 2 and 3 of the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill should remain part of the Bill. These clauses relate to changes to Universal Credit and PIP eligibility or rates, with the vote determining whether the government's welfare reform proposals proceed through committee stage.

MP voted NoAgainst party majorityLikely whipped

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Voting at a Glance

A safe Lab seat, won with 58% of the vote in 2024. Centred on Liverpool. Population 104,185, notably young (median age 32 vs 41 nationally).

2024 General Election

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

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

§ 07The record, at a glance.429 divisions voted

Two readings of the same data. Issue volume shows where Barker 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
79
Taxation
75
Employment
48
Crime & Policing
44
Education
31
Welfare and Benefits
27
Notable votes
Free votes and rebellions — moments the MP’s own judgment matters more than the whip
Draft Higher Education (Fee Limits and Fee Limit Condition) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 202618 Mar 2026
No
Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill Committee: New Clause 809 Jul 2025
Aye
Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill Committee: Clause 2, as amended, and Clause 3 stand part09 Jul 2025
No
§ 08The local picture.14 wards

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

WardCouncillorVotesParty
AigburthDave Antrobus862Liberal
ArundelLaura Robertson-Collins716Labour P
ChildwallMike Storey2,193Liberal
ChildwallPat Moloney2,138Liberal
Edge HillNaz Hasan526Labour P
Everton EastEllie Mary Byrne652Labour P
Festival GardensPeter Anthony Norris358Labour P
Greenbank ParkMartyn Madeley660Green Pa
Kensington FairfieldLiam Robinson1,539Labour P
Kensington FairfieldLiz Parsons1,574Labour P
Kensington FairfieldWendy Simon1,444Labour P
Old Swan WestWilliam Shortall679Labour P
Population (2021 Census)
104,185
Electorate 70,581 · 2024 register
Median income
£27,000
HMRC SPI 2024
Households renting privately
31.9%
England average 20.0%
Schools
45
24 primary · 10 secondary
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More constituency data is being added, including local issue analysis and historical trends. Learn about our methodology. View data sources & attribution.