Newport West & Islwyn / data
Ruth Jones · Labour Party · sitting since 04 Apr 2019 · every division, speech and committee appearance.
Since election
2579days
from 04 Apr 2019
Divisions
441
of 504 possible
Attendance
88%
63 absent / paired
Whip alignment
97%
vs party majority
Speeches
57
39 debates
Written Qs
402
381 answered
Committees
4
1 chair
Expenses
£300k paid
FY 2024–2025 · 149 claims
Interests
4
3 categories
A · Overview
Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted — engagement only, not direction.
| Issue | Volume | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Economy | 84 | |
| Taxation | 79 | |
| Employment | 46 | |
| Crime & Policing | 45 | |
| Education | 39 | |
| Welfare and Benefits | 30 | |
| Housing | 24 | |
| Constitution and Democracy | 22 |
Speech topics
Words spoken, by topic. Source: Hansard.
| Topic | Debates | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Culture Community | 7 | 5,848 |
| Health | 8 | 4,886 |
| Economy Jobs | 18 | 4,290 |
| Environment | 7 | 3,453 |
| Social Care | 9 | 3,382 |
| Local Government | 3 | 3,283 |
| Labour Market | 3 | 2,113 |
| Fiscal Policy | 7 | 1,698 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jan 2026 | Draft Public Order Act 2023 (Interference With Use or Operation of Key National Infrastructure) Regulations 2025MPs voted on new regulations expanding the Public Order Act 2023 to criminalise interference with key national infrastructure, such as energ… | Rebelled | No |
| 20 Jun 2025 | Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Third ReadingMPs voted on the Third Reading of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill — the final Commons vote on whether to pass the assisted dyin… | Free vote | No |
| 20 Jun 2025 | Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Amendment 94Vote on whether to prevent someone from qualifying as 'terminally ill' under the assisted dying bill solely because they have voluntarily st… | Free vote | No |
C · Speeches
| Date | Contribution | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Apr 2026 | Defence SectorThe Welsh Affairs Committee has a great interest in the future of the defence manufacturing industry in Wales, because the defence sector is such a major driver of Wales’s manufact… DefenceEconomy Jobs | 74 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Draft Chemicals (Health and Safety) (Amendment, Consequential and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026Thank you, Dr Murrison, for enabling me to speak even though I am not a member of the Committee. It seems like a long time ago, but I should declare that I was a shadow Department … EnvironmentEconomy JobsHealth | 565 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Draft Chemicals (Health and Safety) (Amendment, Consequential and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026I would very much welcome that opportunity to talk to the Minister outside this Committee. In terms of the UN alignment, that is fine, but what happens when the UN has countries th… EnvironmentEconomy JobsHealth | 57 |
| 10 Mar 2026 | Fur: Import and SaleIt is helpful to hear the Minister outline the progress so far. Given yesterday’s SPS statement, could she clarify that fur and fur products will not form part of the negotiations … EnvironmentAgricultureCulture Community | 36 |
| 10 Mar 2026 | Domestic Abuse (Pets)I beg to move, That leave be given to bring in a Bill to make provision for the application of non-molestation orders and occupation orders to behaviour relating to pets; to amend … CrimeSocial Care | 921 |
| 10 Mar 2026 | Fur: Import and SaleThank you again for your chairmanship, Ms Jardine. It has been a pleasure to serve under you. This has been a very coherent and cohesive debate; I am not aware that there have been… EnvironmentAgricultureCulture Community | 276 |
| 10 Mar 2026 | Fur: Import and SaleI beg to move, That this House has considered the import and sale of fur and related products. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship again, Ms Jardine. I thank the Backben… EnvironmentAgricultureCulture Community | 711 |
| 10 Mar 2026 | Fur: Import and SaleI could not have put it better myself. Let us be clear about what the fur trade involves. Each year, tens of millions of animals, including foxes, mink and raccoons, are still trap… EnvironmentAgricultureCulture Community | 1,364 |
| 09 Mar 2026 | Type 1 Diabetes: Infant TestingIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship again, Sir Alec. I welcome the Minister to her place; it is great to see her. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for North Ayrshire… HealthSocial Care | 353 |
| 04 Mar 2026 | Family FarmsAs you will be aware, Mr Speaker, the Welsh Affairs Committee recently published its report on farming in Wales. We welcome the Government’s reforms to inheritance tax, but call fo… AgricultureFiscal PolicyEconomy Jobs | 84 |
| 26 Feb 2026 | St David’s Day and Welsh AffairsThe hon. Member is quite right; we are always better together. As a Gaelic colleague, I welcome him to this debate today and I look forward to his contributions later on. St David … Economy JobsCulture CommunityLocal Government | 1,241 |
| 26 Feb 2026 | St David’s Day and Welsh AffairsI beg to move, That this House has considered St David’s Day and Welsh affairs. It is a real privilege to open this debate as we come together to mark St David’s day and discuss Wa… Economy JobsCulture CommunityLocal Government | 582 |
| 26 Feb 2026 | St David’s Day and Welsh AffairsIt has been an honour to open and close this debate. I thank everybody who made a contribution. I will not go through the list as the Secretary of State just did that admirably, bu… Economy JobsCulture CommunityLocal Government | 282 |
| 03 Feb 2026 | Animals in Science Regulation Unit: Annual Report 2024The Minister says there are not alternatives, but there are. The forced swim test is a classic, as is the LD50. These need to be phased out; we do not need them any more. I gently … HealthEnvironmentCulture Community | 52 |
| 03 Feb 2026 | Animals in Science Regulation Unit: Annual Report 2024It is a real pleasure to serve under your chairmanship this afternoon, Sir John. I pay tribute to the hon. Member for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East (Seamus Logan) for securing… HealthEnvironmentCulture Community | 731 |
D · Written questions
Top departments
| Department | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | 111 | 27.6% |
| Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | 65 | 16.2% |
| Department for Work and Pensions | 38 | 9.5% |
| Home Office | 36 | 9.0% |
| Department of Health and Social Care | 36 | 9.0% |
| Department for Science, Innovation and Technology | 35 | 8.7% |
| Department for Culture, Media and Sport | 20 | 5.0% |
| Department for Business and Trade | 11 | 2.7% |
Most recent
| Date | Department | Question | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Apr 2026 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of a) companion animal ownership trends and b) recent legislative changes on local authority costs, including i) ke… | Pending |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Department for Work and Pensions | To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to include variables relating to companion animal ownership in a) future labour market and b) household surveys. | Pending |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Home Office | To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the robustness of the harm-benefit analysis of service licences, under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, using a) non-human… | Pending |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Home Office | To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the level of a) pain, b) suffering, c) distress and d) lasting harm caused to dogs covered by service licences under the Animals (Scien… | Pending |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Home Office | To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of a) pain, b) suffering, c) distress and d) lasting harm caused to non-human primates recognised by service licenc… | Pending |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Department for Work and Pensions | To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has undertaken any joint work with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to assess the a) societal and b) economic impact of companion animal owner… | Pending |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Department for Work and Pensions | To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what comparative assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of (a) informal caregiving responsibilities and (b) companion animal care on labour market participation. | Pending |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Department for Work and Pensions | To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to undertake research into the potential impact of companion animal ownership on a) labour market participation, b) productivity and c) flexible working. | Pending |
| 20 Apr 2026 | Department for Culture, Media and Sport | To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what consideration has she given to providing multi-year funding to support investment in covered tennis courts, and what assessment has she made of the potential impacts of such f… | Pending |
| 20 Apr 2026 | Department for Education | To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve training for primary school teachers on how to deliver high quality PE and school sport. | Pending |
| 20 Apr 2026 | Department for Culture, Media and Sport | To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the effect of access to (a) accessible, (b) covered and (c) indoor sports facilities to levels of participation by disabled people in sport. | Pending |
| 20 Apr 2026 | Department for Culture, Media and Sport | To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of community covered (a) tennis, (b) padel and (c) multisport hubs. | Pending |
| 20 Apr 2026 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish guidance on how owners of exempted dogs will be able to remain compliant with the legal requirement to hold third-party liability insurance beyond 1… | Pending |
| 20 Apr 2026 | Department for Culture, Media and Sport | To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of levels of provision of (a) covered and (b) indoor sports tennis courts in Britain. | Pending |
| 20 Apr 2026 | Department for Education | To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the benefits of tennis-focused teaching as part of PE and sport provision; and what steps is she taking to support tennis education in schools. | Pending |
E · Committees
| Committee | Role | House | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liaison Sub-Committee on National Policy StatementsSelect | Member | Commons | 11 Jun 2025 | present |
| Liaison Committee (Commons)Select | Member | Commons | 04 Dec 2024 | present |
| Welsh Affairs CommitteeSelect | Member | Commons | 09 Sept 2024 | present |
| Welsh Affairs CommitteeSelect | Chair | Commons | 09 Sept 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 | 118 | 39,777 | 13.3% |
| Accommodation | 12 | 24,886 | 8.3% |
| Miscellaneous | 3 | 1,150 | 0.4% |
| MP Travel | 0 | 3,391 | 1.1% |
| Staff Travel | 0 | 3,384 | 1.1% |
| Staffing | 0 | 227,212 | 75.8% |
Top itemised cost types
| Cost type | Category | Claims | Paid (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pooled staffing services | Office Costs | 1 | 4,600 |
| Maintenance, Redecorations & Repairs | Office Costs | 4 | 3,734 |
| Equipment - purchase | Office Costs | 8 | 3,423 |
| Business rates | Office Costs | 1 | 2,848 |
| Stationery & printing | Office Costs | 44 | 2,731 |
| Utilities | Office Costs | 6 | 2,198 |
| Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Office Costs | 11 | 1,754 |
| Bought-in services | Office Costs | 1 | 1,640 |
| Cleaning services | Office Costs | 3 | 1,446 |
| Removals | Miscellaneous | 3 | 1,150 |
| Software & applications | Office Costs | 2 | 983 |
| Newspapers, journals, magazines | Office Costs | 20 | 944 |
Most recent
| Date | Category | Description | Paid (£) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 May 2025 | Accommodation Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Internet | 0 | Repaid |
| 11 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | [200011798-516] | 40 | Paid |
| 09 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Business rates | CCBC - ONLINE PAYMENT [200011798-515] | 2,848 | Paid |
| 01 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Utilities | Electricity | 407 | Paid |
| 28 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Maintenance, Redecorations & Repairs | Repayment of claim 60288931:1 | 0 | Repaid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 178 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 108 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 108 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 108 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Utilities | Electricity | 95 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 20 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 20 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 20 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Cleaning services | Banner March 2025 | 10 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 7 | Paid |
| 14 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Maintenance, Redecorations & Repairs | Sign for constituency office | 1,056 | Paid |
| 13 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Newspapers, journals, magazines | NEWSTEAM GROUP [200011725-3833] | 37 | Paid |
| 10 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Landline | 34 | Paid |
| 07 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Maintenance, Redecorations & Repairs | Heating for Office | 2,640 | Paid |
| 07 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | 2,640 | 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. (b) Any other support not included in Category 2(a)1 entry
21 Oct 2025
Name of donor: Labour Animal Welfare Society
Address of donor: 30 Station Road, Carlton, Nottingham NG4 3AX
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: Policy support in relation to my private members' bill, value £1,660.08
Date received: 15 October 2025 to 15 October 2025
Date accepted: 15 October 2025
Donor status: other (Member's Association)
(Registered 20 October 2025)
3. Gifts, benefits and hospitality from UK sources1 entry
04 Nov 2025
Name of donor: Channel 4 Television Company Limited
Address of donor: 124 Horseferry Road, London SW1P 2TX
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: Two tickets to the BAFTA Cymru Awards ceremony, including dinner, value £468
Date received: 5 October 2025
Date accepted: 5 October 2025
Donor status: company, registration 01533774
(Registered 28 October 2025)
8. Miscellaneous2 entries
13 May 2025
I am a trustee of the Parliamentary Christian Trust. This is an unpaid role.
Date interest arose: 6 May 2025
(Registered 8 May 2025)
13 May 2025
I am a patron of Edengate, a charity based in Newport that works with homeless people. This is an unpaid role.
Date interest arose: 1 May 2025
(Registered 8 May 2025)
H · Ward results
Most recent winning councillor in each ward — 17 wards, 36 councillor seats.
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Votes | Election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abercarn | Andy Whitcombe | Labour Party | 743 | 05 May 2022 |
| Abercarn | Denver Preece | Labour Party | 653 | 05 May 2022 |
| Allt Yr Yn | David Thomas Fouweather | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,253 | 05 May 2022 |
| Allt Yr Yn | Matthew Evans | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,324 | 05 May 2022 |
| Allt Yr Yn | Pat Drewett | Labour Party | 1,366 | 05 May 2022 |
| Argoed | Walter Williams | Labour Party | 356 | 05 May 2022 |
| Blackwood | Andrew Farina-Childs | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 1,695 | 05 May 2022 |
| Blackwood | Kevin Etheridge | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 1,877 | 05 May 2022 |
| Blackwood | Nigel Stuart Dix | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 1,634 | 05 May 2022 |
| Cefn Fforest Pengam | Marina Chacon-Dawson | Labour Party | 856 | 05 May 2022 |
| Cefn Fforest Pengam | Shane Williams | Labour Party | 929 | 05 May 2022 |
| Cefn Fforest Pengam | Teresa Heron | Labour Party | 886 | 05 May 2022 |
| Crosskeys | Julian Simmonds | Labour Party | 415 | 05 May 2022 |
| Crumlin | Carl Jeffrey Thomas | Labour Party | 846 | 05 May 2022 |
| Crumlin | Kristian Woodland | Labour Party | 652 | 05 May 2022 |
| Gaer | Bev Perkins | Labour Party | 1,145 | 05 May 2022 |
| Gaer | Dimitri Batrouni | Labour Party | 1,106 | 05 May 2022 |
| Gaer | Stephen Marshall | Labour Party | 1,199 | 05 May 2022 |
| Graig | John Harris | Labour Party | 654 | 05 May 2022 |
| Graig | John Jones | Conservative and Unionist Party | 657 | 05 May 2022 |
| Newbridge | Adrian Hussey | Labour Party | 745 | 05 May 2022 |
| Newbridge | Gary Johnston | Labour Party | 733 | 05 May 2022 |
| Newbridge | Leeroy Jeremiah | Labour Party | 729 | 05 May 2022 |
| Penmaen | Elizabeth Davies | Labour Party | 457 | 31 Aug 2023 |
| Risca East | Arianna Leonard | Labour Party | 631 | 05 May 2022 |
| Risca East | Nigel George | Labour Party | 698 | 05 May 2022 |
| Risca East | Philippa Leonard | Labour Party | 626 | 05 May 2022 |
| Risca West | Bob Owen | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 983 | 05 May 2022 |
| Risca West | Ceri Marina Wright | Labour Party | 629 | 05 May 2022 |
| Rogerstone East | Bev Davies | Labour Party | 503 | 05 May 2022 |
| Rogerstone North | Chris Reeks | Conservative and Unionist Party | 667 | 05 May 2022 |
| Rogerstone West | John Reynolds | Labour Party | 916 | 05 May 2022 |
| Rogerstone West | Yvonne Forsey | Labour Party | 1,133 | 05 May 2022 |
| Tredegar Park Marshfield | Allan Screen | Labour Party | 993 | 05 May 2022 |
| Tredegar Park Marshfield | Rhian Howells | Labour Party | 1,148 | 05 May 2022 |
| Tredegar Park Marshfield | Trevor Albert Watkins | Labour Party | 917 | 05 May 2022 |
I · Demographics
| Indicator | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 93,367 | Electorate 75,785 (2024) |
| Median age | 42 | years |
| Degree-educated | 31.8% | level 4 or above |
| Ethnicity (White) | 93.9% | 2021 Census ethnic group |
| Owner-occupied | 71.8% | households |
| Private-rented | 12.2% | households |
| Social-rented | 15.9% | households |
| Employment rate | 57.6% | 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.