Liverpool Wavertree / data
Paula Barker · Labour Party · sitting since 12 Dec 2019 · every division, speech and committee appearance.
Since election
2326days
from 12 Dec 2019
Divisions
429
of 504 possible
Attendance
85%
75 absent / paired
Whip alignment
98%
vs party majority
Speeches
72
31 debates
Written Qs
326
324 answered
Committees
2
memberships
Expenses
£324k paid
FY 2024–2025 · 120 claims
Interests
3
3 categories
A · Overview
Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted — engagement only, not direction.
| Issue | Volume | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Economy | 79 | |
| Taxation | 75 | |
| Employment | 48 | |
| Crime & Policing | 44 | |
| Education | 31 | |
| Welfare and Benefits | 27 | |
| Housing | 24 | |
| Constitution and Democracy | 22 |
Speech topics
Words spoken, by topic. Source: Hansard.
| Topic | Debates | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Social Care | 13 | 4,127 |
| Health | 7 | 1,701 |
| Defence | 8 | 1,508 |
| Crime | 4 | 1,489 |
| Mp Performance | 2 | 1,381 |
| Economy Jobs | 7 | 1,309 |
| Local Government | 4 | 1,294 |
| Housing | 2 | 1,100 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Mar 2026 | Draft Higher Education (Fee Limits and Fee Limit Condition) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2026Vote on regulations to raise university tuition fees in England by 2.71% for 2026-27. The Labour government backed the increase, while oppos… | Rebelled | No |
| 09 Jul 2025 | Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill Committee: New Clause 8Vote on a technical amendment (New Clause 8) to ensure that Universal Credit payments for claimants in the Limited Capability for Work and W… | Rebelled | Aye |
| 09 Jul 2025 | Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill Committee: Clause 2, as amended, and Clause 3 stand partVote on whether Clauses 2 and 3 of the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill should remain part of the Bill. These clauses… | Rebelled | No |
C · Speeches
| Date | Contribution | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Apr 2026 | Junior Doctors’ Foundation ProgrammeOrder. I remind the hon. Member that this is not a chance for a second speech; it is just a winding-up speech. HealthLabour MarketEducation | 22 |
| 13 Apr 2026 | Southport InquiryI thank the Home Secretary for her statement, and place on record my sympathies for the families of Alice, Elsie and Bebe, who are living with the most unimaginable loss. The South… CrimeSocial CareHealth | 283 |
| 11 Mar 2026 | Rough Sleeping: Families with ChildrenI thank the Minister for the contribution she is making. Will she commit to publishing the minutes of the interministerial group? HousingSocial CareLocal Government | 21 |
| 11 Mar 2026 | Rough Sleeping: Families with ChildrenI beg to move, That this House has considered the matter of rough sleeping among families with children. I place on the record my co-chairship of the all-party parliamentary group … HousingSocial CareLocal Government | 1,654 |
| 11 Mar 2026 | Rough Sleeping: Families with ChildrenI thank all hon Members for their thoughtful and knowledgeable contributions. I also thank the Opposition spokesperson, the hon. Member for Hamble Valley (Paul Holmes), and the Lib… HousingSocial CareLocal Government | 147 |
| 05 Mar 2026 | Business of the HouseTransforming Choice, led by Frances Molloy and her amazing team, is an alcohol detox and rehabilitation service based in Sefton Park in my constituency. It does incredible work to … DefenceEconomy JobsEnergy | 139 |
| 05 Feb 2026 | Scottish Affairs Committee in 2024-25 and Industrial TransitionWe begin with the Select Committee statement. Elaine Stewart will speak on the publication of the fifth report of the Scottish Affairs Committee, “The work of the Committee in 2024… Economy JobsEducationLabour Market | 89 |
| 04 Feb 2026 | Lord MandelsonI think I have made it clear what I think of the Government amendment. I will end by saying, as my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds East (Richard Burgon) did, that the Prime Minist… Mp PerformanceDefenceOther | 76 |
| 04 Feb 2026 | Lord MandelsonI place on record that my thoughts are with the women and girls who were victims of Epstein and his cronies. I am also deeply concerned for those who suffered incredible loss throu… Mp PerformanceDefenceOther | 517 |
| 27 Jan 2026 | Topical QuestionsT1. If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities. Economy JobsCost Of LivingLocal Government | 11 |
| 27 Jan 2026 | Topical QuestionsWhile I am looking forward to the statement a little later from the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, I would like to push him, if I may. I recently visited one of my local pubs… Economy JobsCost Of LivingLocal Government | 115 |
| 27 Jan 2026 | Support for BusinessesI wish your leg a speedy recovery, Mr Speaker. I recently visited the wonderful Aura salon in my constituency and spoke to the owners Victoria and Janet, who have owned the busines… Fiscal PolicyEconomy JobsCost Of Living | 133 |
| 27 Jan 2026 | Support for Businesses4. Whether she plans to increase the level of small business rates relief for the hair and beauty sector. Fiscal PolicyEconomy JobsCost Of Living | 19 |
| 26 Jan 2026 | Key Stage 1 CurriculumMany happy returns to your son. Education | 6 |
| 26 Jan 2026 | Key Stage 1 CurriculumOrder. After the next speaker, there will be a formal time limit of three minutes. Education | 15 |
D · Written questions
Top departments
| Department | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | 71 | 21.8% |
| Department for Work and Pensions | 37 | 11.3% |
| Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | 33 | 10.1% |
| Home Office | 32 | 9.8% |
| Department of Health and Social Care | 30 | 9.2% |
| Department for Transport | 22 | 6.7% |
| Department for Education | 20 | 6.1% |
| Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | 14 | 4.3% |
Most recent
| Date | Department | Question | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Apr 2026 | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's document entitled Summary of the local government reorganisation process, published on 25 July 2025, if he will help support inc… | Pending |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he intends to take steps through the fair pay agreement process for the adult social care sector to reduce the take-home pay gap between social care support workers and equiv… | Pending |
| 17 Mar 2026 | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to promote Housing First as an effective response to rough sleeping. | Answered |
| 17 Mar 2026 | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's policy paper entitled A National Plan to End Homelessness, published on 11 December 2025, what assessment she has made with Cabi… | Answered |
| 17 Mar 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 freeze in Local Housing Allowance on levels of rough sleeping and homelessness in England. | Answered |
| 17 Mar 2026 | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that local councils provide homelessness assistance to children to prevent them being forced to sleep rough. | Answered |
| 17 Mar 2026 | Department for Work and Pensions | To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of benefit sanctions on people forced into prostitution due to destitution. | Answered |
| 12 Feb 2026 | Department for Work and Pensions | To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the voluntary and community sector on providing employment support to help tackle the disability employment gap. | Answered |
| 12 Feb 2026 | Department for Business and Trade | To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues on publicising entitlement to Neonatal Care Pay and Leave in hospitals and other health settings to parents who could potentially… | Answered |
| 12 Feb 2026 | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether voluntary and community sector organisations are eligible for funding through the Local Growth Fund. | Answered |
| 12 Feb 2026 | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on bridging funding for voluntary and community organisations following the closure of the UK Shared Prosper… | Answered |
| 12 Feb 2026 | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his department has made of the potential impact of the closure of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund on the capacity of the voluntary and community sect… | Answered |
| 12 Feb 2026 | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the closure of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund on the capacity of the voluntary and community sect… | Answered |
| 12 Feb 2026 | Department for Business and Trade | To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential benefits to working families of extending the statutory entitlement to paternity leave. | Answered |
| 12 Feb 2026 | Department for Education | To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her Department’s estimate is of the (a) total level of student loan debt of Plan 2 students who started their course between 2012 and 2023 and (b) total level of student loan debt of Plan 2… | Answered |
E · Committees
| Committee | Role | House | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Committee of PrivilegesSelect | Member | Commons | 28 Oct 2024 | present |
| Committee on StandardsSelect | 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 | 94 | 33,261 | 10.3% |
| Accommodation | 13 | 30,375 | 9.4% |
| MP Travel | 0 | 10,550 | 3.3% |
| Staff Travel | 0 | 13,663 | 4.2% |
| Staffing | 0 | 235,427 | 72.7% |
| Dependant Travel | 0 | 558 | 0.2% |
Top itemised cost types
| Cost type | Category | Claims | Paid (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintenance, Redecorations & Repairs | Office Costs | 13 | 5,721 |
| Pooled staffing services | Office Costs | 1 | 4,600 |
| Advertising and contact cards | Office Costs | 2 | 2,427 |
| Equipment - purchase | Office Costs | 12 | 2,228 |
| Utilities | Office Costs | 3 | 2,087 |
| Software & applications | Office Costs | 16 | 1,664 |
| Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Office Costs | 17 | 1,583 |
| Council tax | Accommodation | 1 | 1,054 |
| Bought-in services | Office Costs | 1 | 900 |
| Stationery & printing | Office Costs | 11 | 734 |
| Utilities | Accommodation | 12 | 718 |
| Waste disposal, confidential waste & rubbish collection | Office Costs | 1 | 184 |
Most recent
| Date | Category | Description | Paid (£) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Maintenance, Redecorations & Repairs | Payment for door hanging and shelving [200011781-347] | 29 | Paid |
| 26 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Landline | 59 | Paid |
| 24 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Utilities | Electricity | 171 | Paid |
| 23 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Utilities | Electricity | 83 | Paid |
| 23 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Software & applications | ADOBE [200011725-5427] | 57 | Paid |
| 18 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Newspapers, journals, magazines | THE POST [200011725-5324] | 7 | Paid |
| 26 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Utilities | Electricity | 1,798 | Paid |
| 25 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Landline | 60 | Paid |
| 24 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Moving Fees | Agency fees | 60 | Paid |
| 24 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Moving Fees | Agency fees | 60 | Paid |
| 23 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Software & applications | ADOBE [200011725-200] | 57 | Paid |
| 20 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Utilities | Electricity | 118 | Paid |
| 18 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Newspapers, journals, magazines | THE POST [200011725-1392] | 7 | Paid |
| 17 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Bought-in services | Professional & consultancy | 900 | Paid |
| 17 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Software & applications | ELECTED TECHNOLOGIES [200011726-519] | 720 | Paid |
| 23 Jan 2025 | Office Costs Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Landline | 59 | Paid |
| 23 Jan 2025 | Office Costs Software & applications | ADOBE | 57 | Paid |
| 21 Jan 2025 | Accommodation Utilities | Electricity | 73 | Paid |
| 18 Jan 2025 | Office Costs Newspapers, journals, magazines | THE POST | 7 | Paid |
| 01 Jan 2025 | Office Costs Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Landline | 59 | 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
14 Apr 2026
Name of donor: Avanti West Coast
Address of donor: 8th Floor, The Point, 37 North Wharf Road, London W2 1AF
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: Train tickets provided for eight people from Transforming Choice, a rehabilitation facility in my constituency, to come to London on 18 March 2026 to see democracy up close. The attendees were two members of staff plus participants of the programme who have just graduated, value £2,864
Donor status: company, registration 14445025
(Registered 31 March 2026)
3. Gifts, benefits and hospitality from UK sources1 entry
05 Aug 2025
Name of donor: Silverstone Circuit
Address of donor: The Jimmy Brown Centre, Silverstone Circuit, Towcester NN12 8TN
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: I attended F1 qualifying at Silverstone on Friday 4 July 2025 with my son. We were in the Directors Box and received hospitality tickets, food & drink, value £1,400
Date received: 4 July 2025
Date accepted: 4 July 2025
Donor status: company, registration 00882843
(Registered 23 July 2025)
4. Visits outside the UK1 entry
01 Jul 2025
Name of donor: Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Address of donor: 2 Ketagalan Blvd, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City 100202
Estimate of the probable value (or amount of any donation): Flights £5388.12, hotel £825.00, local transportation £282.00, meals £250.00, value £6,745.12
Destination of visit: Taiwan
Dates of visit: 24 May 2025 to 30 May 2025
Purpose of visit: A Labour Friends of Taiwan delegation to meet with politicians, academics and trade union officials along with some visits to historical sites.
(Registered 17 June 2025)
H · Ward results
Most recent winning councillor in each ward — 14 wards, 18 councillor seats.
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Votes | Election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aigburth | Dave Antrobus | Liberal Democrats | 862 | 04 May 2023 |
| Arundel | Laura Robertson-Collins | Labour Party | 716 | 04 May 2023 |
| Childwall | Mike Storey | Liberal Democrats | 2,193 | 04 May 2023 |
| Childwall | Pat Moloney | Liberal Democrats | 2,138 | 04 May 2023 |
| Edge Hill | Naz Hasan | Labour Party | 526 | 04 May 2023 |
| Everton East | Ellie Mary Byrne | Labour Party | 652 | 04 May 2023 |
| Festival Gardens | Peter Anthony Norris | Labour Party | 358 | 04 May 2023 |
| Greenbank Park | Martyn Madeley | Green Party of England and Wales | 660 | 04 May 2023 |
| Kensington Fairfield | Liam Robinson | Labour Party | 1,539 | 04 May 2023 |
| Kensington Fairfield | Liz Parsons | Labour Party | 1,574 | 04 May 2023 |
| Kensington Fairfield | Wendy Simon | Labour Party | 1,444 | 04 May 2023 |
| Old Swan West | William Shortall | Labour Party | 679 | 04 May 2023 |
| Princes Park | Lucille Bernadette Harvey | Labour Party | 737 | 04 May 2023 |
| Sefton Park | John David Howard | Green Party of England and Wales | 760 | 04 May 2023 |
| Smithdown | James Alexander Roberts | Labour Party | 1,211 | 04 May 2023 |
| Smithdown | Jon Morris | Labour Party | 1,020 | 04 May 2023 |
| Wavertree Garden Suburb | Julie Fadden | Labour Party | 564 | 04 May 2023 |
| Wavertree Village | Laurence Sidorczuk | Liberal Democrats | 547 | 04 May 2023 |
I · Demographics
| Indicator | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 104,185 | Electorate 70,581 (2024) |
| Median age | 32 | years |
| Degree-educated | 35.0% | level 4 or above |
| Ethnicity (White) | 78.3% | 2021 Census ethnic group |
| Owner-occupied | 48.7% | households |
| Private-rented | 31.9% | households |
| Social-rented | 19.3% | households |
| Employment rate | 48.6% | 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.