North West · England · 76,641Boundary · 2023

Makerfield

Follow⇄ Compare
Dispatch
Apr 2026

Represented by Lab since 2024. Covers Hindley, Wigan and Ashton-in-Makerfield. Population 114,929. Recorded crime is 100% below the national average.

Josh Simons' tenure has been dominated by a ministerial scandal that forced his resignation in February 2026. He was found to have falsely linked journalists to a pro-Kremlin network, commissioned investigations into reporters, and provided misleading information to security agencies -- prompting a formal ethics investigation launched by Keir Starmer and his subsequent departure from government. The controversy generated the bulk of his recent press coverage, with ongoing criticism including allegations that he was given unchallenged BBC airtime to defend his conduct without those affected being given a right of reply. Against that backdrop, he did secure a significant local win: a £153m link road between the M6 and M61, a long-stalled infrastructure project he is explicitly credited with championing.

In parliament, Simons votes with Labour 100% of the time across 62 recorded votes -- a perfect party-line record with no rebellions. His participation rate of 72% sits below the Commons average. His stance profile reflects orthodox Labour positioning: supporting tax increases, workers' rights, and fiscal responsibility, while scoring notably low on pro-victims' rights (8%) and pro-parliamentary scrutiny (0%) measures -- the latter consistent with his votes backing the government's rejection of multiple Lords amendments to the Victims and Courts Bill in March 2026. He also scores 18 percentage points above his party average on immigration control votes.

336
Commons votes
This parliament
£26k
Median income
HMRC · 2024
76.6k
Electorate
2024 GE

Lab held for 5 consecutive elections.

Current Member of Parliament

Josh Simons

Josh Simons

Labour Party

Josh Simons is the Labour MP for Makerfield, and has been an MP continually since 4 July 2024.

Sign up free to read the full briefing on Josh Simons.

Sign up free

Voting at a Glance

Represented by Lab since 2024. Covers Hindley, Wigan and Ashton-in-Makerfield. Population 114,929. Recorded crime is 100% below the national average.

2024 General Election

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

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

§ 07The record, at a glance.337 divisions voted

Two readings of the same data. Issue volume shows where Simons 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
72
Taxation
64
Employment
46
Crime & Policing
43
Welfare and Benefits
25
Constitution and Democracy
23
Notable votes
Free votes and rebellions — moments the MP’s own judgment matters more than the whip

No rebellions or free votes recorded yet.

§ 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
AbramNazia Tabussam Rehman1,353Labour P
Ashton In Makerfield SouthAndrew John Bullen1,259Labour P
Bryn With Ashton In Makerfield NorthScarlett Myler1,512Independ
Golborne Lowton WestSusan Gambles1,572Labour P
Hindley GreenJames Palmer1,260Labour P
Leigh WestSue Greensmith1,592Labour P
OrrellAnne Collins1,601Labour P
WinstanleyClive William Morgan1,412Labour P
Worsley MesnesPaul David James Molyneux1,217Labour P
Population (2021 Census)
114,929
Electorate 76,641 · 2024 register
Median income
£26,200
HMRC SPI 2024
Households renting privately
14.5%
England average 20.0%
Schools
52
33 primary · 7 secondary
Next · dig deeperEvery division, question, speech and committee record

Mine the full
record → Data view

Filter divisions, search written questions, read every speech since the election. Sortable, searchable, downloadable.

More constituency data is being added, including local issue analysis and historical trends. Learn about our methodology. View data sources & attribution.