Rochester & Strood / data
Lauren Edwards · Labour Party · sitting since 04 Jul 2024 · every division, speech and committee appearance.
Since election
659days
from 04 Jul 2024
Divisions
435
of 504 possible
Attendance
86%
69 absent / paired
Whip alignment
100%
vs party majority
Speeches
156
51 debates
Written Qs
49
49 answered
Committees
1
memberships
Expenses
£134k paid
FY 2024–2025 · 94 claims
Interests
2
1 category
A · Overview
Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted — engagement only, not direction.
| Issue | Volume | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Economy | 89 | |
| Taxation | 89 | |
| Crime & Policing | 46 | |
| Employment | 42 | |
| Education | 37 | |
| Welfare and Benefits | 27 | |
| Constitution and Democracy | 26 | |
| Pensions | 23 |
Speech topics
Words spoken, by topic. Source: Hansard.
| Topic | Debates | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Social Care | 9 | 2,811 |
| Economy Jobs | 17 | 2,269 |
| Crime | 7 | 1,868 |
| Education | 7 | 1,287 |
| Health | 5 | 1,002 |
| Local Government | 6 | 822 |
| Defence | 9 | 716 |
| Culture Community | 1 | 626 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 03 Dec 2024 | Elections (proportional representation): Ten Minute Rule Motion A vote on whether to allow a Bill to be introduced that would replace the current first-past-the-post voting system with proportional repres… | Free vote | No |
C · Speeches
| Date | Contribution | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 15 Apr 2026 | EngagementsQ1. If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 15 April. DefenceCost Of LivingHealth | 12 |
| 15 Apr 2026 | EngagementsThe Prime Minister was right to resist us being drawn into an ill-conceived war in the middle east with apparently no clear plan for how it may end. Despite the welcome cost of liv… DefenceCost Of LivingHealth | 110 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 899)Would you expect a matter of months? | 7 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 899)When you do the first letter in late autumn, what will the process be? Will it be you sending it to the Prime Minister and then making it publicly available? | 30 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 899)Thank you. Have you had any assurances from the Prime Minister as to what timely means? One would hope that it would not take almost a year for him to respond. Has he given you an … | 42 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 899)Have you had any assurances about how it is going to be received and acted upon? | 16 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 899)Good morning. I have some questions on the annual review for the Prime Minister. You have mentioned that one of your new responsibilities is to provide this annual review of the co… | 58 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Topical QuestionsThe James Williams healthy living centre recently opened in Chatham town centre in my constituency. It means that more of my constituents can receive care closer to home, rather th… HealthLocal Government | 67 |
| 13 Apr 2026 | Topical QuestionsT3. I welcome the action that the Government are taking to improve the reporting and transparency of political donations from unincorporated associations in the Representation of t… HousingLocal Government | 78 |
| 26 Mar 2026 | Gurkha VeteransI thank the hon. and gallant Member for Tewkesbury (Cameron Thomas) and the Backbench Business Committee for facilitating this really important debate. My constituency of Rochester… DefenceSocial CareCost Of Living | 520 |
| 24 Mar 2026 | Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1657)There is no enforceable mechanism for Parliament to ensure that your recommendations are adhered to, and there are obviously limits to public scrutiny. Are you concerned about the … | 60 |
| 24 Mar 2026 | Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1657)The Government have now retaken their decision in relation to the PHSO’s investigation into communications around changes to the women’s state pension age, and will not be providin… | 142 |
| 24 Mar 2026 | Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1657)Paula, you said in our pre-appointment hearing that you wanted to look at governance. Have you had the opportunity to make an assessment of the governance arrangements at the PHSO … | 32 |
| 24 Mar 2026 | Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1657)Are you confident that the DWP can change its culture to one of continuous improvement, openness and learning from feedback, as you were speaking about earlier in the session, when… | 35 |
| 24 Mar 2026 | Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1657)So you are not in the process of doing a new strategy; it is about scrutinising an existing strategy in that space? | 22 |
D · Written questions
Top departments
| Department | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Department for Education | 14 | 28.6% |
| Department for Work and Pensions | 8 | 16.3% |
| Department of Health and Social Care | 5 | 10.2% |
| Department for Business and Trade | 5 | 10.2% |
| Treasury | 3 | 6.1% |
| Department for Energy Security and Net Zero | 3 | 6.1% |
| Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | 3 | 6.1% |
| Home Office | 2 | 4.1% |
Most recent
| Date | Department | Question | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Mar 2026 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve access to community-based healthcare in Rochester and Strood constituency. | Answered |
| 23 Mar 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made on delivering the Defence Housing Strategy; what the total planned investment is for upgrading military accommodation; and how many service homes are expected… | Answered |
| 05 Mar 2026 | Department for Business and Trade | To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to introduce a guest beer agreement in England. | Answered |
| 05 Mar 2026 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans her Department has to establish service standards to improve the effectiveness of the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS); and pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2025 to Question 77954 on F… | Answered |
| 21 Jan 2026 | Department for Education | To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will give an update on her progress of appointment of an expert advisory group for the development of CCTV guidance for the early years sector. | Answered |
| 19 Jan 2026 | Department for Work and Pensions | To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Written Statement UIN HCWS1044 on Pensions Update of 11 November 2025, what estimate his Department has made of the potential costs of delivering compensation in lin… | Answered |
| 19 Jan 2026 | Department for Work and Pensions | To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of State Pension age changes on 1950s-born women living in Rochester and Strood constituency. | Answered |
| 19 Jan 2026 | Department for Work and Pensions | To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Written Statement UIN HCWS1044 on Pensions Update of 11 November 2025, what information his Department holds on the reasons that the findings of the 2007 research re… | Answered |
| 02 Jan 2026 | Department for Work and Pensions | To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure adequate workforce capability to deliver (i) infrastructure and (ii) construction projects, in the context of recent cuts announced by t… | Answered |
| 16 Dec 2025 | Department for Work and Pensions | To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many professionally qualified Level 6 and 7 careers advisers the National Careers Service employs; and how this number will change under the planned new Jobs and Careers Service. | Answered |
| 16 Dec 2025 | Department for Work and Pensions | To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how people will access professional careers advice within the new Jobs and Careers Service. | Answered |
| 03 Nov 2025 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 10 October 2025 to Question 80707 on Hospitals: Special Educational Needs, if he will publish a breakdown by region of the over three million people who hav… | Answered |
| 22 Oct 2025 | Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to provide support to families whose relatives have died abroad in suspicious circumstances. | Answered |
| 15 Oct 2025 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that hospice contracts reflect (a) the cost of the services they provide and (b) the needs of their local populations. | Answered |
| 10 Oct 2025 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what general training all hospital and general practice staff are expected to receive in order to understand the needs of neuro-divergent and autistic patients; and what plans he has… | Answered |
E · Committees
| Committee | Role | House | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs CommitteeSelect | Member | Commons | 28 Oct 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 | 82 | 25,638 | 19.2% |
| Staffing | 8 | 107,396 | 80.3% |
| Accommodation | 1 | 164 | 0.1% |
| MP Travel | 0 | 109 | 0.1% |
| Staff Travel | 0 | 480 | 0.4% |
Top itemised cost types
| Cost type | Category | Claims | Paid (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equipment - purchase | Office Costs | 33 | 9,103 |
| Training - staff | Staffing | 7 | 6,806 |
| Rent | Office Costs | 7 | 5,649 |
| Website hosting and design | Office Costs | 1 | 4,212 |
| Pooled staffing services | Staffing | 1 | 3,000 |
| Training - staff | Office Costs | 1 | 1,500 |
| Maintenance, Redecorations & Repairs | Office Costs | 4 | 1,240 |
| Recruitment Services &Costs | Office Costs | 1 | 900 |
| Software & applications | Office Costs | 4 | 734 |
| Utilities | Office Costs | 4 | 688 |
| Stationery & printing | Office Costs | 20 | 650 |
| Mobile telephone - equipment purchase | Office Costs | 3 | 501 |
Most recent
| Date | Category | Description | Paid (£) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09 May 2025 | Office Costs Utilities | Water | 433 | Paid |
| 24 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | [200011793-444] | 50 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Rent | 2024-25 [***] rent pro-rata | -831 | Paid |
| 28 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Maintenance, Redecorations & Repairs | WT PLUMBING AND HEATIN [200011725-8405] | 542 | Paid |
| 28 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Maintenance, Redecorations & Repairs | A.OSBORNE ELECTRICAL L [200011725-8404] | 518 | Paid |
| 27 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | 3,915 | Paid |
| 27 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | 374 | Paid |
| 27 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Internet | 318 | Paid |
| 27 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | 145 | Paid |
| 27 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | 79 | Paid |
| 26 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | 681 | Paid |
| 26 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | 125 | Paid |
| 25 Mar 2025 | Staffing Training - staff | PARLI-TRAINING [200011725-7686] | 1,430 | Paid |
| 25 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Rent | Rent | 1,080 | Paid |
| 25 Mar 2025 | Staffing Training - staff | PARLI-TRAINING [200011725-7688] | 987 | Paid |
| 25 Mar 2025 | Staffing Training - staff | PARLI-TRAINING [200011725-7687] | 933 | Paid |
| 25 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | 470 | Paid |
| 25 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | 160 | Paid |
| 25 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Maintenance, Redecorations & Repairs | ALL KENT COOLING LIMIT [200011725-7683] | 72 | Paid |
| 25 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Utilities | Electricity | -148 | 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.
8. Miscellaneous2 entries
12 Nov 2025
Labour & Co-Operative Councillor for Rochester East and Warren Wood, (unpaid since August 2024 and previously registered under Category 1).
Date interest arose: 5 July 2024
Date interest ended: 6 February 2025
(Registered 4 August 2024; updated 1 October 2025)
16 Aug 2024
Unpaid Director, Route to Zero Ltd.
(Registered 2 August 2024)
H · Ward results
Most recent winning councillor in each ward — 12 wards, 31 councillor seats.
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Votes | Election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Saints | Chris Spalding | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 295 | 04 May 2023 |
| Chatham Central Brompton | Damola Animashaun | Labour Party | 1,136 | 04 May 2023 |
| Chatham Central Brompton | Nina Gurung | Labour Party | 1,211 | 04 May 2023 |
| Chatham Central Brompton | Vince Maple | Labour Party | 1,394 | 04 May 2023 |
| Cuxton Halling Riverside | Matt Fearn | Conservative and Unionist Party | 880 | 04 May 2023 |
| Cuxton Halling Riverside | Phil Filmer | Conservative and Unionist Party | 685 | 04 May 2023 |
| Fort Pitt | Gareth Myton | Labour Party | 1,577 | 04 May 2023 |
| Fort Pitt | Harinder Mahil | Labour Party | 1,634 | 04 May 2023 |
| Fort Pitt | Smitha Campbell | Labour Party | 1,726 | 04 May 2023 |
| Gillingham North | Adam Price | Labour Party | 1,419 | 04 May 2023 |
| Gillingham North | Douglas Kudakwashe Hamandishe | Labour Party | 1,355 | 04 May 2023 |
| Gillingham North | Lia Mandaracas | Labour Party | 1,339 | 04 May 2023 |
| Hoo St Werburgh High Halstow | George Josiah Thomas Crozer | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 2,388 | 04 May 2023 |
| Hoo St Werburgh High Halstow | Michael Ian Pearce | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 2,230 | 04 May 2023 |
| Hoo St Werburgh High Halstow | Ron Sands | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 2,279 | 04 May 2023 |
| Rochester East Warren Wood | Lauren Edwards | Labour Party | 1,517 | 04 May 2023 |
| Rochester East Warren Wood | Teresa Margaret Murray | Labour Party | 1,658 | 04 May 2023 |
| Rochester East Warren Wood | Tris Osborne | Labour Party | 1,347 | 04 May 2023 |
| Rochester West Borstal | Alex Paterson | Labour Party | 1,807 | 04 May 2023 |
| Rochester West Borstal | Linda Jill Bowen | Labour Party | 1,670 | 04 May 2023 |
| Rochester West Borstal | Paula Wilhelmina Hamilton | Labour Party | 1,624 | 04 May 2023 |
| St Marys Island | Habib Tejan | Conservative and Unionist Party | 479 | 04 May 2023 |
| Strood North Frindsbury | David Peter Field | Labour Party | 1,682 | 04 May 2023 |
| Strood North Frindsbury | Stephen Hubbard | Labour Party | 1,758 | 04 May 2023 |
| Strood North Frindsbury | Zoe Van Dyke | Labour Party | 1,774 | 04 May 2023 |
| Strood Rural | Elizabeth Turpin | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,409 | 04 May 2023 |
| Strood Rural | Gary Etheridge | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,446 | 04 May 2023 |
| Strood Rural | John Williams | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,458 | 04 May 2023 |
| Strood West | Mark Jones | Labour Party | 1,291 | 04 May 2023 |
| Strood West | Satinder Singh Shokar | Labour Party | 1,236 | 04 May 2023 |
| Strood West | Sharon Leigh Jackson | Labour Party | 1,338 | 04 May 2023 |
I · Demographics
| Indicator | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 100,140 | Electorate 74,257 (2024) |
| Median age | 39 | years |
| Degree-educated | 26.5% | level 4 or above |
| Ethnicity (White) | 86.5% | 2021 Census ethnic group |
| Owner-occupied | 68.0% | households |
| Private-rented | 17.8% | households |
| Social-rented | 14.2% | households |
| Employment rate | 60.8% | 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.