North Durham / data
Luke Akehurst · Labour Party · sitting since 04 Jul 2024 · every division, speech and committee appearance.
Since election
659days
from 04 Jul 2024
Divisions
418
of 504 possible
Attendance
83%
86 absent / paired
Whip alignment
100%
vs party majority
Speeches
126
67 debates
Written Qs
250
247 answered
Committees
2
memberships
Expenses
£203k paid
FY 2024–2025 · 220 claims
Interests
8
3 categories
A · Overview
Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted — engagement only, not direction.
| Issue | Volume | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Economy | 72 | |
| Taxation | 65 | |
| Employment | 47 | |
| Crime & Policing | 35 | |
| Education | 32 | |
| Welfare and Benefits | 30 | |
| Constitution and Democracy | 27 | |
| Housing | 24 |
Speech topics
Words spoken, by topic. Source: Hansard.
| Topic | Debates | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Economy Jobs | 31 | 8,454 |
| Defence | 26 | 7,565 |
| Culture Community | 6 | 2,691 |
| Fiscal Policy | 5 | 2,402 |
| Local Government | 6 | 2,124 |
| Labour Market | 8 | 1,750 |
| Health | 6 | 1,257 |
| Housing | 3 | 1,083 |
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.
No notable votes recorded for this MP yet.
C · Speeches
| Date | Contribution | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Apr 2026 | Allied Health ProfessionalsI declare an interest as a member of the all-party parliamentary group on allied health professionals. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Dudley (Sonia Kumar) on initially secur… HealthLabour MarketSocial Care | 1,887 |
| 22 Apr 2026 | EngagementsQ11. One of the main concerns that North Durham residents raise with me is the vitality of local high streets, so I am delighted that in the last year, a series of new independent … DefenceImmigrationEconomy Jobs | 99 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Gibraltar: UK-EU TreatyI congratulate the Government on this significant announcement. Does the Minister agree with me that the agreement provides additional safeguards to Gibraltar’s sovereignty, while … DefenceEconomy Jobs | 68 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Armed Forces Bill (Seventh sitting)I think that everyone who cares about defence shares the right hon. Gentleman’s anxiety about wanting to see the defence investment plan published. Would he accept that we are only… DefenceTechnologyLabour Market | 148 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Armed Forces Bill (Seventh sitting)Given that the hon. Member is outlining cases where a previous Government—in 2001, if I am right, that was a Labour Government—derogated from ECHR articles without being required t… DefenceTechnologyLabour Market | 134 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Armed Forces Bill (Seventh sitting)indicated dissent. DefenceTechnologyLabour Market | 2 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Armed Forces Bill (Seventh sitting)Does my hon. and gallant Friend agree that the problem is not just the legacy that his Department inherited, but the wider legacy of debt that our Government inherited, which means… DefenceTechnologyLabour Market | 105 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Armed Forces Bill (Seventh sitting)The right hon. Gentleman is right to talk about the different pressures that cause people to leave. Will he join me in welcoming the fact that in the year to September 2025, there … DefenceTechnologyLabour Market | 62 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Armed Forces Bill (Sixth sitting)I hope that the right hon. Gentleman will accept that there is bipartisan support for extending cadet forces into the state sector, which was his first point. He mentioned cadet fo… Defence | 88 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Armed Forces Bill (Seventh sitting)I am happy to clarify that I had no intention of hinting that the hon. Gentleman was in any way politically allied with Russia. Clearly, he is an ally of Ukraine, as we are on the … DefenceTechnologyLabour Market | 79 |
| 15 Apr 2026 | Access to Work SchemeIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Harris. I wholeheartedly commend the hon. Member for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe (David Chadwick) for securing today’s debate, f… Economy JobsLabour MarketSocial Care | 465 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Armed Forces Bill (Fourth sitting)Has the hon. Gentleman made any assessment of whether the capacity savings from serving officers not having to serve on the court—because under the amendment they would be replaced… Defence | 63 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Armed Forces Bill (Fourth sitting)I feel that the hon. Member is perhaps trying to fix something that is not broken. In the evidence we heard about the service justice system, was there anything that implied that t… Defence | 141 |
| 13 Apr 2026 | Social Homes: Furnished TenanciesKarbon Homes, which is the dominant social landlord in North Durham, provides furnished tenancies to ensure that vulnerable low-income tenants can access essential furniture and wh… HousingSocial Care | 58 |
| 13 Apr 2026 | Social Homes: Furnished Tenancies16. What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of furnished tenancies for social homes. HousingSocial Care | 18 |
D · Written questions
Top departments
| Department | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Ministry of Defence | 108 | 43.2% |
| Department of Health and Social Care | 33 | 13.2% |
| Department for Work and Pensions | 23 | 9.2% |
| Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | 22 | 8.8% |
| Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | 15 | 6.0% |
| Home Office | 14 | 5.6% |
| Department for Business and Trade | 8 | 3.2% |
| Department for Transport | 8 | 3.2% |
Most recent
| Date | Department | Question | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Apr 2026 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people are currently on the waiting list for gender dysphoria clinics in i) the North East of England and ii) nationally. | Pending |
| 17 Apr 2026 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the provision of gender dysphoria clinics in the North East of England. | Pending |
| 15 Apr 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 assess the number of people who are not able to access a social home due to pre-tenancy affordability checks. | Pending |
| 10 Apr 2026 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the £80 million funding announced for children’s hospices in October 2025 on the (a) availability and (b) sustainability of com… | Answered |
| 10 Apr 2026 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential role of community-based social palliative care services for children in the context of his policy on shifting care from hospital to commu… | Answered |
| 10 Apr 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Department is considering Project GRAYBURN as the anchor for a longer-term strategic supplier relationship covering wider dismounted close combat weapons and associated support. | Answered |
| 10 Apr 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for (a) his Department’s policies and (b) the Strategic Defence Review of Ukraine’s use of rapidly developed battlefield technologies, part… | Answered |
| 10 Apr 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment the Department has made of the industrial lead times associated with establishing UK small arms manufacturing capacity for Project GRAYBURN, including facilities, specialist machine… | Answered |
| 10 Apr 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment the Department has made of the operational risks of replacing the SA80 service weapon without including modern optics within the scope of Project GRAYBURN. | Answered |
| 10 Apr 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to help ensure increased investment in defence innovation and supply chains arising from lessons learned in Ukraine for regional areas including North Durham. | Answered |
| 10 Apr 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to engage with early-stage initiatives such as the UK/EU–Ukraine Defence Innovation Corridor to support collaboration on defence innovation and capability development. | Answered |
| 10 Apr 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment the Department has made of the potential strategic benefits of restoring sovereign UK capability for the manufacture, maintenance and through-life support of small arms used by the… | Answered |
| 10 Apr 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the proposed timeline is for Project GRAYBURN, including the anticipated date of contract award; and what assessment his Department has made of the principal risks to delivering the first 10,0… | Answered |
| 10 Apr 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies on UK air and missile defence of Ukraine’s approach to air defence, including the role of trained personnel and real-time… | Answered |
| 10 Apr 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to incorporate lessons from Ukraine into the development of UK air and missile defence capabilities, including counter-drone systems and electronic warfare. | Answered |
E · Committees
| Committee | Role | House | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Select Committee on the Armed Forces BillSelect | Member | Commons | 09 Feb 2026 | present |
| Finance Committee (Commons)Select | Member | Commons | 20 Jan 2025 | 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 | 178 | 23,415 | 11.6% |
| Accommodation | 29 | 15,805 | 7.8% |
| MP Travel | 0 | 8,551 | 4.2% |
| Staff Travel | 0 | 2,223 | 1.1% |
| Staffing | 0 | 152,243 | 75.1% |
| Dependant Travel | 0 | 461 | 0.2% |
Top itemised cost types
| Cost type | Category | Claims | Paid (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | Accommodation | 9 | 11,979 |
| Rent | Office Costs | 5 | 6,286 |
| Stationery & printing | Office Costs | 67 | 4,464 |
| Equipment - purchase | Office Costs | 28 | 3,127 |
| Pooled staffing services | Office Costs | 1 | 3,000 |
| Council tax | Accommodation | 1 | 1,973 |
| Software & applications | Office Costs | 3 | 1,883 |
| Website hosting and design | Office Costs | 3 | 1,450 |
| Utilities | Accommodation | 9 | 1,315 |
| Mobile telephone - equipment purchase | Office Costs | 1 | 497 |
| Maintenance, Redecorations & Repairs | Office Costs | 6 | 486 |
| Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Office Costs | 6 | 403 |
Most recent
| Date | Category | Description | Paid (£) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 03 Apr 2025 | Accommodation Utilities | Dual Fuel | 162 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Rent | 2024-25 [***] rent pro-rata | -21 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Rent | 2024-25 [***] rent pro-rata | -1,568 | Paid |
| 28 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Hospitality | AMAZON [***] [200011725-9939] | 19 | Paid |
| 28 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | 19 | Paid |
| 27 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Internet | 35 | Paid |
| 21 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Hospitality | TESCO STORES 6334 [200011725-10583] | 1 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 229 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 229 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 229 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Banner March 2025 | 74 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Banner March 2025 | 55 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 49 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Banner March 2025 | 28 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Banner March 2025 | 27 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Banner March 2025 | 26 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Banner March 2025 | 25 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 24 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Banner March 2025 | 6 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Banner March 2025 | 5 | 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.
4. Visits outside the UK1 entry
21 Oct 2025
Name of donor: ELNET UK
Address of donor: 4th Floor, 6 Princes Street, London W1B 2LG
Estimate of the probable value (or amount of any donation): Flights (£724 for two people), two rooms hotel accommodation for three nights (£730), meals for 3.5 days (£608 for two people) and minibus travel in country (£196 for two people). I travelled with my Parliamentary Assistant (£1,129 per person), value £2,258
Destination of visit: Estonia (Tallinn and Narva)
Dates of visit: 12 October 2025 to 15 October 2025
Purpose of visit: Study tour: participation in Common Threats, Joint Defence, UK - Estonia - Israel Strategic Mission
(Registered 16 October 2025)
7. (i) Shareholdings: over 15% of issued share capital2 entries
16 Aug 2024
Name of company or organisation: Labour to Win Ltd
Nature of business: Political organisation within the Labour Party
(Registered 22 July 2024)
16 Aug 2024
Name of company or organisation: Labour First Ltd
Nature of business: Political organisation within the Labour Party
(Registered 22 July 2024)
8. Miscellaneous5 entries
16 Aug 2024
PLP Representative on Labour Party National Executive Committee.
Date interest arose: 17 July 2024
(Registered 22 July 2024)
22 Jan 2025
Member, British-American Parliamentary Group Executive Committee. This is an unpaid role.
Date interest arose: 30 October 2024
(Registered 8 January 2025)
16 Aug 2024
Trustee, Friends of Labour Students. This is an unpaid role.
(Registered 3 August 2024)
16 Aug 2024
Director, Labour to Win Ltd. This is an unpaid role.
(Registered 3 August 2024)
16 Aug 2024
Director/Secretary, Labour First Ltd. This is an unpaid role.
(Registered 3 August 2024)
H · Ward results
Most recent winning councillor in each ward — 13 wards, 24 councillor seats.
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Votes | Election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annfield Plain | Christine Bell | Derwentside Independents | 521 | 06 May 2021 |
| Annfield Plain | Joan Nicholson | Derwentside Independents | 719 | 06 May 2021 |
| Chester Le Street East | Julie Anne Scurfield | Labour Party | 716 | 04 May 2023 |
| Chester Le Street North | Tracie Jane Smith | Labour Party | 695 | 06 May 2021 |
| Chester Le Street South | Bill Moist | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 907 | 06 May 2021 |
| Chester Le Street South | Paul Stephen Sexton | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 1,619 | 06 May 2021 |
| Chester Le Street West Central | Karen Anne Fantarrow Darby | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 832 | 06 May 2021 |
| Chester Le Street West Central | Simon Antony Henig | Labour Party | 797 | 06 May 2021 |
| Craghead South Moor | Carole Ann Hampson | Labour Party | 873 | 06 May 2021 |
| Craghead South Moor | Sam McMahon | Labour Party | 798 | 06 May 2021 |
| Lanchester | Douglas Oliver | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,317 | 06 May 2021 |
| Lanchester | Michael McGaun | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,242 | 06 May 2021 |
| Lumley | Alan Bell | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 1,509 | 06 May 2021 |
| Lumley | Philip Heaviside | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 788 | 06 May 2021 |
| North Lodge | Craig Martin | Liberal Democrats | 1,070 | 06 May 2021 |
| Pelton | Alison Batey | Labour Party | 1,993 | 06 May 2021 |
| Pelton | Danny Wood | Labour Party | 1,725 | 06 May 2021 |
| Pelton | Paul Pringle | Labour Party | 1,566 | 06 May 2021 |
| Sacriston | Emma Waldock | Labour Party | 922 | 06 May 2021 |
| Sacriston | Simon Joseph Wilson | Labour Party | 884 | 06 May 2021 |
| Stanley | Angela Hanson | Labour Party | 883 | 06 May 2021 |
| Stanley | Carl Marshall | Labour Party | 849 | 06 May 2021 |
| Tanfield | Gordon Binney | Labour Party | 893 | 06 May 2021 |
| Tanfield | Joyce Charlton | Derwentside Independents | 891 | 06 May 2021 |
I · Demographics
| Indicator | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 93,289 | Electorate 73,226 (2024) |
| Median age | 45 | years |
| Degree-educated | 26.1% | level 4 or above |
| Ethnicity (White) | 97.6% | 2021 Census ethnic group |
| Owner-occupied | 63.6% | households |
| Private-rented | 15.9% | households |
| Social-rented | 20.4% | households |
| Employment rate | 52.9% | 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.