Pontefract, Castleford & Knottingley / data
Yvette Cooper · Labour Party · sitting since 01 May 1997 · every division, speech and committee appearance.
Since election
10585days
from 01 May 1997
Divisions
153
of 504 possible
Attendance
30%
351 absent / paired
Whip alignment
100%
vs party majority
Speeches
990
46 debates
Written Qs
0
tabled
Committees
0
memberships
Expenses
£285k paid
FY 2024–2025 · 107 claims
Interests
4
2 categories
A · Overview
Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted — engagement only, not direction.
| Issue | Volume | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Taxation | 20 | |
| Employment | 18 | |
| Crime & Policing | 17 | |
| Welfare and Benefits | 16 | |
| Economy | 15 | |
| Energy | 13 | |
| Universal Credit | 10 | |
| Defence and Foreign Affairs | 10 |
Speech topics
Words spoken, by topic. Source: Hansard.
| Topic | Debates | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Defence | 32 | 65,176 |
| Immigration | 14 | 47,179 |
| Crime | 13 | 33,257 |
| Economy Jobs | 10 | 25,669 |
| Other | 8 | 23,850 |
| Local Government | 5 | 21,683 |
| Social Care | 4 | 20,668 |
| Culture Community | 8 | 12,082 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 21 Apr 2026 | Topical QuestionsMy hon. Friend is right to highlight the changing technology, geopolitics and security threats. We now face very different threats to our country. That is why we are increasing bot… DefenceEconomy JobsImmigration | 68 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Gulf ConflictWe have been clear from the start that UK bases could be used only for defensive operations, not offensive operations. There is currently a ceasefire in place, although it runs onl… DefenceEnergyCost Of Living | 79 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Topical QuestionsAs the Prime Minister set out yesterday, we believe that Ministers should have been informed that the UK Security Vetting recommendation was against granting developed vetting to P… DefenceEconomy JobsImmigration | 99 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Topical QuestionsThe starting point was the appointment of Peter Mandelson; he should never have been appointed to his post. The Prime Minister made that clear, and has apologised not just to the H… DefenceEconomy JobsImmigration | 113 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Gulf ConflictI can tell my hon. Friend that the Minister for the middle east, my hon. Friend the Member for Lincoln (Mr Falconer), was in Beirut at the end of last week, where he pressed those … DefenceEnergyCost Of Living | 104 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Gulf ConflictI can tell the right hon. Gentleman that the Minister for the middle east, my hon. Friend the Member for Lincoln (Mr Falconer), has met the Yemeni Prime Minister in recent days, to… DefenceEnergyCost Of Living | 103 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Topical QuestionsI can assure my right hon. Friend that we are continuing to raise matter this as well. We assess that around a dozen countries are providing different kinds of arms flow support to… DefenceEconomy JobsImmigration | 62 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Topical QuestionsThe most immediate, urgent thing we need to do internationally is get the strait of Hormuz reopened. That is what I have been pursuing in a series of diplomatic meetings over the l… DefenceEconomy JobsImmigration | 56 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Topical QuestionsObviously, I was the Home Secretary at the time that I understand that took place, so I was not involved and do not know the circumstances. I am, of course, extremely concerned at … DefenceEconomy JobsImmigration | 147 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Topical QuestionsI have been informed of the conclusions of the UK Security Vetting report and assessment and its recommendation; I have not seen the detailed content of its report. I do think ther… DefenceEconomy JobsImmigration | 95 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Topical QuestionsYesterday, the Prime Minister updated the House on the fact that UK Security Vetting recommended against granting vetting of Peter Mandelson, and that the Foreign, Commonwealth and… DefenceEconomy JobsImmigration | 223 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Gulf ConflictThe hon. Member will know from our statement that we have focused our support on fragile and conflict-affected states. We are also working, including with the World Bank, to monito… DefenceEnergyCost Of Living | 124 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Gulf ConflictI met Pakistan’s Foreign Minister in the last few days, and the hon. Lady will know that Pakistan is leading the mediation work as part of this effort. I have also spoken frequentl… DefenceEnergyCost Of Living | 125 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Gulf ConflictIsrael’s security needs to be protected, and so does the security of Gulf countries that have been attacked as part of this conflict. We need security right across the region. The … DefenceEnergyCost Of Living | 117 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Topical QuestionsThe House was not given the full information. It is important that it should be given the full information, and I have undertaken to write to the Select Committee ensuring that ful… DefenceEconomy JobsImmigration | 39 |
D · Written questions
No written questions tabled by this MP in our records.
E · Committees
No committee memberships recorded for this MP.
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 | 99 | 25,168 | 8.8% |
| MP Travel | 0 | 5,627 | 2.0% |
| Staff Travel | 0 | 5,729 | 2.0% |
| Staffing | 0 | 248,481 | 87.0% |
| Dependant Travel | 0 | 464 | 0.2% |
Top itemised cost types
| Cost type | Category | Claims | Paid (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stationery & printing | Office Costs | 32 | 5,273 |
| Pooled staffing services | Office Costs | 1 | 4,600 |
| Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Office Costs | 17 | 2,234 |
| Cleaning services | Office Costs | 14 | 1,853 |
| Utilities | Office Costs | 14 | 1,395 |
| Equipment - hire | Office Costs | 1 | 798 |
| Equipment - purchase | Office Costs | 3 | 774 |
| Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | Office Costs | 10 | 564 |
| Software & applications | Office Costs | 1 | 479 |
| Insurance - contents | Office Costs | 1 | 318 |
| TV licence | Office Costs | 2 | 212 |
| Waste disposal, confidential waste & rubbish collection | Office Costs | 2 | 206 |
Most recent
| Date | Category | Description | Paid (£) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | CARTRIDGE SAVE [200011725-8473] | 372 | Paid |
| 26 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | CARTRIDGE SAVE [200011725-7939] | 662 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 27 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 15 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 12 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 11 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 11 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 5 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 4 | Paid |
| 19 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Office furniture | 515 | Paid |
| 10 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Utilities | Electricity | 134 | Paid |
| 10 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Cleaning services | SUMUP [***] [***] [200011725-4619] | 133 | Paid |
| 10 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Landline & internet package | 96 | Paid |
| 10 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | [200011725-4620] | 72 | Paid |
| 28 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | WWW.RYMAN.CO.UK | 176 | Paid |
| 26 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Waste disposal, confidential waste & rubbish collection | GO SHRED LIMITED | 84 | Paid |
| 11 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Landline & internet package | 96 | Paid |
| 11 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | 25 | Paid |
| 04 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Utilities | Electricity | 186 | Paid |
| 04 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Cleaning services | [***][***][***] | 133 | 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.
1. Employment and earnings3 entries
18 Nov 2025
Payment: £643.01 For additional sales of a book already published
Received on: 28 October 2025. Hours: no hours entered.
(Registered 5 November 2025)
13 May 2025
Payment: £854.16 For additional sales of a book already published
Received on: 8 April 2025. Hours: no additional hours.
(Registered 1 May 2025)
18 Apr 2024
Role, work or services: Writing a book
Payer: Conville and Walsh (literary agent), Haymarket House, London SW1Y 4SP
3. Gifts, benefits and hospitality from UK sources1 entry
04 Nov 2025
Name of donor: Barbara Follett
Address of donor: private
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: Accommodation for staff members during Labour Party conference, value £2,350
Date received: 27 September 2025 to 1 October 2025
Date accepted: 27 September 2025
Donor status: individual
(Registered 21 October 2025)
H · Ward results
Most recent winning councillor in each ward — 6 wards, 6 councillor seats.
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Votes | Election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airedale Ferry Fryston | Jackie Ferguson | Labour Party | 1,135 | 02 May 2024 |
| Altofts Whitwood | Josie Pritchard | Labour Party | 1,684 | 02 May 2024 |
| Castleford Central Glasshoughton | Richard Anthony Forster | Labour Party | 1,713 | 02 May 2024 |
| Knottingley | Adele Hayes | Liberal Democrats | 1,363 | 02 May 2024 |
| Pontefract North | Helen Kirsty Antcliff | Labour Party | 1,717 | 02 May 2024 |
| Pontefract South | Julie Craig | Labour Party | 1,925 | 02 May 2024 |
I · Demographics
| Indicator | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 95,689 | Electorate 74,618 (2024) |
| Median age | 40 | years |
| Degree-educated | 20.9% | level 4 or above |
| Ethnicity (White) | 96.6% | 2021 Census ethnic group |
| Owner-occupied | 62.7% | households |
| Private-rented | 14.0% | households |
| Social-rented | 23.2% | households |
| Employment rate | 57.2% | 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.