Rayleigh & Wickford / data
Mr Mark Francois · Conservative and Unionist Party · sitting since 07 Jun 2001 · every division, speech and committee appearance.
Since election
9087days
from 07 Jun 2001
Divisions
290
of 504 possible
Attendance
58%
214 absent / paired
Whip alignment
100%
vs party majority
Speeches
367
93 debates
Written Qs
583
583 answered
Committees
1
memberships
Expenses
£247k paid
FY 2024–2025 · 137 claims
Interests
4
2 categories
A · Overview
Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted — engagement only, not direction.
| Issue | Volume | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Taxation | 70 | |
| Economy | 53 | |
| Education | 32 | |
| Employment | 29 | |
| Defence and Foreign Affairs | 20 | |
| Housing | 20 | |
| Constitution and Democracy | 20 | |
| Crime & Policing | 19 |
Speech topics
Words spoken, by topic. Source: Hansard.
| Topic | Debates | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Defence | 59 | 37,254 |
| Economy Jobs | 29 | 16,432 |
| Culture Community | 11 | 13,025 |
| Local Government | 15 | 10,364 |
| Housing | 11 | 7,210 |
| Transport | 9 | 4,882 |
| Environment | 7 | 4,542 |
| Crime | 11 | 4,337 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Apr 2026 | Security VettingIf, as we have been assured, there was no law that prevented the permanent under-secretary from telling the Prime Minister the outcome of Mandelson’s developed vetting, then presum… Mp PerformanceDefence | 87 |
| 20 Apr 2026 | Security VettingCome on. Mp PerformanceDefence | 2 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Armed Forces Bill (Seventh sitting)That is twice now. DefenceTechnologyLabour Market | 4 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Armed Forces Bill (Seventh sitting)I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time. DefenceTechnologyLabour Market | 12 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Armed Forces Bill (Seventh sitting)As a right hon. Member, I am afraid that we have just heard the same ministerial bluster that we have had for months, so I will press the new clause to a vote. Question put, That t… DefenceTechnologyLabour Market | 43 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Armed Forces Bill (Seventh sitting)Thank you. DefenceTechnologyLabour Market | 2 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Armed Forces Bill (Seventh sitting)Fair enough. Anyway, it has not been signed for months and has, metaphorically, been sitting on the Chancellor’s desk. It is probably fair to say that the Chancellor has no backgro… DefenceTechnologyLabour Market | 49 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Armed Forces Bill (Seventh sitting)I am so sorry, but will the Minister give way? DefenceTechnologyLabour Market | 10 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Armed Forces Bill (Seventh sitting)It is very clear that the hon. Member for North Durham basically implied that we are aligned with the Russians. That is a despicable thing to say. DefenceTechnologyLabour Market | 27 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Armed Forces Bill (Seventh sitting)I hope that we are all much refreshed. I should say up front that, while we have been able to conduct this Committee for most of the time in a relatively consensual manner, I fear … DefenceTechnologyLabour Market | 1,189 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Armed Forces Bill (Seventh sitting)We do indeed have a disagreement on principle. I suspect that the Minister might privately have some sympathy with the new clause but, for reasons we are all aware of, he cannot sa… DefenceTechnologyLabour Market | 53 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Armed Forces Bill (Seventh sitting)I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time. This is the last new clause we will debate today, so I will try to keep to the point. New clause 17 would require the Governme… DefenceTechnologyLabour Market | 807 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Armed Forces Bill (Seventh sitting)Ministers keep talking about this “largest sustained increase” in defence spending since the cold war. Why, then, were there £2.6 billion of efficiency cuts last year, and why is t… DefenceTechnologyLabour Market | 39 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Armed Forces Bill (Seventh sitting)What does that have to do with it? DefenceTechnologyLabour Market | 8 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Armed Forces Bill (Seventh sitting)Further to that point of order, Mr Efford. I very much echo the Minister’s sentiments. We have agreed with the general thrust of the Bill from day one. We said that we would attemp… DefenceTechnologyLabour Market | 182 |
D · Written questions
Top departments
| Department | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Ministry of Defence | 389 | 66.7% |
| Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | 93 | 16.0% |
| Department of Health and Social Care | 34 | 5.8% |
| Northern Ireland Office | 18 | 3.1% |
| Treasury | 12 | 2.1% |
| Cabinet Office | 11 | 1.9% |
| Department for Business and Trade | 10 | 1.7% |
| Home Office | 5 | 0.9% |
Most recent
| Date | Department | Question | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 05 Mar 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of air-to-air refuelling capability on future force development planning. | Answered |
| 05 Mar 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the Type 45 Destroyers that (a) have completed, (b) are undergoing and (c) are yet to commence the Power Improvement Project power upgrade. | Answered |
| 05 Mar 2026 | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he will publish the results of the consultation on proposed Local Government re-organisation in the County of Essex. | Answered |
| 05 Mar 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which warship was nominated as the Fleet Ready Escort on 1 March 2026. | Answered |
| 05 Mar 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the latest estimated IOC date for HMS Venturer. | Answered |
| 05 Mar 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has identified a future requirement for air-to-air boom refuelling capability for the Royal Air Force. | Answered |
| 27 Jan 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the total budget now allocated for the Watchkeeper RPV, between November 2024 (the previously announced cancellation date) and March 2027. | Answered |
| 27 Jan 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has considered gifting Watchkeeper to Ukraine. | Answered |
| 27 Jan 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the latest estimated in-service date for Project Corvus, the planned replacement for the Watchkeeper RPV. | Answered |
| 27 Jan 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his recent WMS on Ajax of 22 January 2026, whether the current or former National Armament Director advised him that Ajax was safe to enter operational service. | Answered |
| 27 Jan 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the latest out of service date for the Watchkeeper RPV system. | Answered |
| 27 Jan 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to withdraw the Watchkeeper RPV from operational service with the Army. | Answered |
| 27 Jan 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the latest estimated in service date for the RCH 155 artillery system with the British Army. | Answered |
| 27 Jan 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the latest estimated in-service date for HMS Venturer. | Answered |
| 27 Jan 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to allocate one of the eight Type 26 frigates currently intended for the Royal Navy to Norway. | Answered |
E · Committees
| Committee | Role | House | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Select Committee on the Armed Forces BillSelect | Member | Commons | 09 Feb 2026 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Staffing | 8 | 224,586 | 91.1% |
| Accommodation | 40 | 12,399 | 5.0% |
| Office Costs | 82 | 8,793 | 3.6% |
| MP Travel | 0 | 442 | 0.2% |
| Staff Travel | 0 | 410 | 0.2% |
Top itemised cost types
| Cost type | Category | Claims | Paid (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel - London | Accommodation | 40 | 12,399 |
| Pooled staffing services | Staffing | 4 | 9,763 |
| Bought-in services | Staffing | 4 | 5,500 |
| Stationery & printing | Office Costs | 74 | 4,031 |
| Advertising and contact cards | Office Costs | 4 | 3,523 |
| Software & applications | Office Costs | 2 | 828 |
| Website hosting and design | Office Costs | 1 | 360 |
| Equipment - purchase | Office Costs | 1 | 50 |
Most recent
| Date | Category | Description | Paid (£) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | XMA March 2025 | 74 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Advertising and contact cards | LEIGH-ON-SEA NEWS [200011725-10766] | 792 | Paid |
| 28 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Hotel - London | [***][***][***] [200011725-8484] | 460 | Paid |
| 24 Mar 2025 | Staffing Pooled staffing services | European Research Group (Conservative) | 2,500 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Hotel - London | [***][***][***] [200011725-7552] | 345 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 42 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 10 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 6 | Paid |
| 13 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Hotel - London | [***][***][***] [200011725-6094] | 345 | Paid |
| 07 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Hotel - London | [***][***][***] [200011725-4252] | 460 | Paid |
| 27 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | XMA March 2025 | 410 | Paid |
| 27 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | XMA March 2025 | 410 | Paid |
| 27 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | XMA March 2025 | 410 | Paid |
| 27 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | XMA March 2025 | 406 | Paid |
| 27 Feb 2025 | Accommodation Hotel - London | [***][***][***] [200011725-1435] | 345 | Paid |
| 27 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | XMA March 2025 | 334 | Paid |
| 18 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 182 | Paid |
| 18 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 150 | Paid |
| 13 Feb 2025 | Accommodation Hotel - London | [***][***][***] [200011725-537] | 345 | Paid |
| 12 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 35 | 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 earnings1 entry
18 Apr 2024
Role, work or services: Writing a book
Payer: Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) Amazon.com Inc, 410 Terry Avenue, North Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
Additional information: Any payments will be listed below
4. Visits outside the UK3 entries
24 Mar 2026
Name of donor: UK Friends of Ukraine
Address of donor: 62 Lots Road, London SW10 0QD
Estimate of the probable value (or amount of any donation): Food (£127.92) and transport (£270.08), value £398
Destination of visit: Ukraine and Moldova
Dates of visit: 19 February 2026 to 25 February 2026
Purpose of visit: Show support and solidarity with the people of Ukraine and meet with officials, including attending the Commemoration Ceremony of the 4th Anniversary of Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine, in Kyiv, on 24th February 2026.
(Registered 18 March 2026)
13 May 2025
Name of donor: Pyne and Partners
Address of donor: Suite 2 10 Bourke Street Barton, ACT 2600, Australia
Estimate of the probable value (or amount of any donation): Flights (approx £3,217.62) Accommodation (approx £447.13) approx, value £3,664.75
Destination of visit: United States (Washington DC)
Dates of visit: 8 April 2025 to 12 April 2025
Purpose of visit: Speaking at the AUKUS Defence Conference, in Washington DC.
(Registered 6 May 2025)
03 Jun 2025
Name of donor: Defence24
Address of donor: 18 Foksal Street, 00-372 Warsaw, Poland
Estimate of the probable value (or amount of any donation): Flights (£420.20), hotel Accommodation (£138), value £558.20
Destination of visit: Poland
Dates of visit: 4 May 2025 to 7 May 2025
Purpose of visit: Speaking at the Defence24 Days Conference in Warsaw
(Registered 19 May 2025)
H · Ward results
Most recent winning councillor in each ward — 11 wards, 13 councillor seats.
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Votes | Election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castledon Crouch | Alex Myers | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,084 | 02 May 2024 |
| Castledon Crouch | Stuart Johns Allen | Conservative and Unionist Party | 987 | 02 May 2024 |
| Castledon Crouch | Terri Lilian Joan Sargent | Conservative and Unionist Party | 992 | 02 May 2024 |
| Downhall Rawreth | Jim Cripps | Liberal Democrats | 891 | 02 May 2024 |
| Hawkwell East | Mike Webb | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 337 | 02 May 2024 |
| Hawkwell West | Ian Clive Wilson | Rochford District Residents | 848 | 02 May 2024 |
| Hockley | Phil Capon | Rochford District Residents | 680 | 02 May 2024 |
| Hockley Ashingdon | Roger Paul Constable | Conservative and Unionist Party | 463 | 02 May 2024 |
| Hullbridge | Michael Hoy | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 1,091 | 02 May 2024 |
| Lodge | Robert Milne | Liberal Democrats | 857 | 02 May 2024 |
| Sweyne Park Grange | Lisa Jane Newport | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 820 | 02 May 2024 |
| Trinity | Matt O'Leary | Liberal Democrats | 900 | 02 May 2024 |
| Wheatley | Mike Sutton | Liberal Democrats | 567 | 02 May 2024 |
I · Demographics
| Indicator | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 104,754 | Electorate 76,576 (2024) |
| Median age | 45 | years |
| Degree-educated | 22.9% | level 4 or above |
| Ethnicity (White) | 94.9% | 2021 Census ethnic group |
| Owner-occupied | 82.0% | households |
| Private-rented | 11.3% | households |
| Social-rented | 6.7% | households |
| Employment rate | 58.5% | 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.