East of England · England · 74,332Boundary · 2023

Lowestoft

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Dispatch
Apr 2026

Won by Lab in its first election in 2024 by 4.8%. Covers Lowestoft, Beccles and Kessingland. Population 96,163, notably older (median age 47 vs 41 nationally). Median income £26K (below average).

Jess Asato's most distinctive recent activity has been on the assisted dying bill, where she broke from her party five times during the June 2025 Report Stage -- supporting amendments to close loopholes that would allow voluntary self-starvation as a route to meeting the terminal illness threshold, and backing procedural moves to allow further scrutiny. These deviations place her notably above the Labour average on both end-of-life autonomy (+22 percentage points) and assisted dying safeguards (+20 points), suggesting a principled rather than simply permissive position on the legislation. Beyond Westminster, she has secured tangible local wins: successfully campaigning for a Best Start Family Hub in Lowestoft, raising dental access as her first Commons issue and lobbying for a UEA dental school, and pressing for later buses on a key coastal route through a combination of parliamentary questions, a local summit, and formal letters to relevant bodies.

At 82% voting participation, Asato is slightly below the Commons average. She votes with Labour in 96.7% of cases, making her a broadly loyal MP whose deviations are concentrated in specific policy areas rather than general rebelliousness. Her speech activity -- 86 contributions across 57 debates -- skews heavily toward social care, crime, health, and education. She was appointed to an advisory role on tackling violence against women in late 2025, directly reflecting her pre-parliamentary background in domestic abuse and child protection work. She also secured a change in law preventing parents convicted of serious child sex offences from retaining parental decision-making rights.

398
Commons votes
This parliament
£26k
Median income
HMRC · 2024
74.3k
Electorate
2024 GE

A new constituency created in the 2023 boundary review.

Current Member of Parliament

Jess Asato

Jess Asato

Labour Party

Jess Asato is the Labour MP for Lowestoft, and has been an MP continually since 4 July 2024.

Notable Votes

MPs voted on the Third Reading of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill — the final Commons vote on whether to pass the assisted dying legislation in its amended form. Passing Third Reading sends the Bill to the House of Lords.

MP voted NoAgainst party majority

A 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 Report Stage, after proceedings had been interrupted on 13 June when an objection was raised. The debate excerpts do not reveal the substantive content of New Clause 16.

MP voted YesAgainst party majority

Vote on an amendment to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill that would prevent someone from qualifying as 'terminally ill' under the Bill solely because they have voluntarily stopped eating and drinking. This matters because without the amendment, a person could potentially use voluntary starvation to meet the terminal illness threshold and access an assisted death.

MP voted NoAgainst party majority

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Voting at a Glance

Won by Lab in its first election in 2024 by 4.8%. Covers Lowestoft, Beccles and Kessingland. Population 96,163, notably older (median age 47 vs 41 nationally). Median income £26K (below average).

2024 General Election

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

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

§ 07The record, at a glance.409 divisions voted

Two readings of the same data. Issue volume shows where Asato 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
Taxation
86
Economy
82
Employment
52
Crime & Policing
45
Welfare and Benefits
30
Education
25
Notable votes
Free votes and rebellions — moments the MP’s own judgment matters more than the whip
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Third Reading20 Jun 2025 · free vote
No
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: New Clause 1620 Jun 2025 · free vote
Aye
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Amendment 7720 Jun 2025 · free vote
No
§ 08The local picture.9 wards

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

WardCouncillorVotesParty
Beccles WorlinghamCaroline Ann Topping2,792Green Pa
Beccles WorlinghamSarah Plummer2,673Green Pa
Beccles WorlinghamSheryl Rumble2,471Green Pa
Carlton ColvilleLetitia Vanessa Smith1,474Conserva
Carlton WhittonJamie Myles Starling904Conserva
Carlton WhittonJenny Ceresa879Conserva
Gunton St MargaretsGeorge King1,020Labour P
Gunton St MargaretsGraham Reginald Parker960Labour P
Harbour NormanstonJanet Elizabeth Craig1,117Labour P
Harbour NormanstonKeith John Patience1,109Labour P
Harbour NormanstonTess Gandy1,088Labour P
KessinglandAlan Green398Labour P
Population (2021 Census)
96,163
Electorate 74,332 · 2024 register
Median income
£26,000
HMRC SPI 2024
Households renting privately
19.8%
England average 20.0%
Schools
41
27 primary · 6 secondary
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