South Suffolk / data
James Cartlidge · Conservative and Unionist Party · sitting since 07 May 2015 · every division, speech and committee appearance.
Since election
4005days
from 07 May 2015
Divisions
366
of 504 possible
Attendance
73%
138 absent / paired
Whip alignment
99%
vs party majority
Speeches
155
65 debates
Written Qs
3,385
3,338 answered
Committees
0
memberships
Expenses
£281k paid
FY 2024–2025 · 144 claims
Interests
3
1 category
A · Overview
Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted — engagement only, not direction.
| Issue | Volume | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Taxation | 90 | |
| Economy | 74 | |
| Employment | 49 | |
| Crime & Policing | 39 | |
| Education | 28 | |
| Welfare and Benefits | 21 | |
| Housing | 21 | |
| Defence and Foreign Affairs | 20 |
Speech topics
Words spoken, by topic. Source: Hansard.
| Topic | Debates | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Defence | 60 | 35,101 |
| Economy Jobs | 37 | 20,797 |
| Technology | 8 | 6,761 |
| Fiscal Policy | 8 | 6,359 |
| Energy | 5 | 3,644 |
| Immigration | 5 | 3,326 |
| Housing | 2 | 2,996 |
| Culture Community | 4 | 2,950 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Aye |
| 16 May 2025 | Closure motionA closure motion was voted on to end debate and force an immediate vote on the matter under discussion. Closure motions are a procedural too… | Free vote | Aye |
| 16 May 2025 | Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Report Stage: Amendment (a) to New Clause 10Vote on whether to allow employers who opt out of providing assisted dying to also prohibit their employees from participating in assisted d… | Free vote | No |
C · Speeches
| Date | Contribution | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 24 Mar 2026 | DefenceI give way to my hon. Friend the Member for Harwich and North Essex (Sir Bernard Jenkin). DefenceFiscal PolicyEconomy Jobs | 17 |
| 24 Mar 2026 | DefenceI am very grateful to the hon. Member; he does always give way on this point. There is one capability that keeps us safe 24/7 more than any other, which is our continuous-at-sea nu… DefenceFiscal PolicyEconomy Jobs | 83 |
| 24 Mar 2026 | DefenceTake an intervention! DefenceFiscal PolicyEconomy Jobs | 3 |
| 24 Mar 2026 | DefenceI am very grateful to my right hon. and gallant Friend, who speaks with his experience as not just a former Defence Minister but someone who served in the Royal Navy and still does… DefenceFiscal PolicyEconomy Jobs | 101 |
| 24 Mar 2026 | DefenceWhen is the Minister going to publish the defence investment plan? DefenceFiscal PolicyEconomy Jobs | 11 |
| 24 Mar 2026 | DefenceMy right hon. Friend is never boring in his interventions; on the contrary, he is one of the most knowledgeable people on defence in this House. I will conclude with five steps tha… DefenceFiscal PolicyEconomy Jobs | 326 |
| 24 Mar 2026 | Defencerose— DefenceFiscal PolicyEconomy Jobs | 1 |
| 24 Mar 2026 | DefenceUnder successive Governments! DefenceFiscal PolicyEconomy Jobs | 3 |
| 24 Mar 2026 | DefenceI believe that the Minister was giving way to me, and I am grateful to him for doing so. To be clear, the Prime Minister and the Conservative party now have the same position. The … DefenceFiscal PolicyEconomy Jobs | 94 |
| 24 Mar 2026 | DefenceThe hon. Lady talks about reliance on the US. I remind her that it was the United States that intercepted the ballistic missile heading for our base—our sovereign territory—on Dieg… DefenceFiscal PolicyEconomy Jobs | 259 |
| 24 Mar 2026 | DefenceThe hon. Gentleman will be aware that we have been training Ukrainian soldiers since 2014—over 60,000, I think, under Operation Interflex. I think there is a very strong consensus … DefenceFiscal PolicyEconomy Jobs | 324 |
| 24 Mar 2026 | DefenceThe hon. Gentleman, who I believe is a gallant gentleman who served in the Royal Air Force, knows exactly what he is talking about. I agree with him wholeheartedly. It is having a … DefenceFiscal PolicyEconomy Jobs | 170 |
| 24 Mar 2026 | DefenceThere was no question in that intervention, but I am glad that the hon. Lady agrees that the Government need to get on and deliver the defence investment plan. To be fair, MPs from… DefenceFiscal PolicyEconomy Jobs | 379 |
| 24 Mar 2026 | DefenceMaybe the hon. Lady knows when we will get it; I give way. DefenceFiscal PolicyEconomy Jobs | 13 |
| 24 Mar 2026 | DefenceI beg to move, That this House regrets that the Defence Investment Plan has still not been published despite the Government promising Parliament that the plan would be published in… DefenceFiscal PolicyEconomy Jobs | 635 |
D · Written questions
Top departments
| Department | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Ministry of Defence | 2,970 | 87.7% |
| Treasury | 99 | 2.9% |
| Department of Health and Social Care | 57 | 1.7% |
| Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | 56 | 1.7% |
| Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | 34 | 1.0% |
| Cabinet Office | 25 | 0.7% |
| Department for Science, Innovation and Technology | 21 | 0.6% |
| Department for Culture, Media and Sport | 20 | 0.6% |
Most recent
| Date | Department | Question | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Apr 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Global Combat Air Programme has received funding since 1 April 2026. | Pending |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether construction has begun on the first munitions factory announced as part of the six new munitions factories in the Strategic Defence Review. | Pending |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether there has been a delay to the presentation of the Defence Accident Investigation Branch investigation on the Ajax programme. | Pending |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much was spent on the delivery of Operation Interflex in financial year 2025-26. | Pending |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Defence Investment Plan will be published before 1 June 2026. | Pending |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many new munitions factories have begun construction. | Pending |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress he has made on delivering at least six new munitions factories. | Pending |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to Q13 of the oral evidence given by the Prime Minister to the Liaison Committee on 23 March 2026, HC 1770, if she will set out a funding plan to spend 3% of GDP on defence before the n… | Pending |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December to Question 98837 on Cruise Missiles, what were the findings of the Review Note to be submitted in Quarter 1 2026. | Pending |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December to Question 98837 on Cruise Missiles, when will Initial Operating Capability of the SPEAR Capability 3 programme be delivered. | Pending |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much will be spent on (a) core defence and (b) NATO qualifying defence spend in the current financial year as a cash figure. | Pending |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the total estimated cost as a cash figure of accepting and implementing all 62 recommendations of the Strategic Defence Review. | Pending |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much does he expect to spend on the delivery of Operation Interflex in financial year (a) 2026-27, (b) 2027-28 and (c) 2028-29. | Pending |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many orders he has made for air-to-air missiles since 5 July 2024. | Pending |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much will be spent on (a) core defence and (b) NATO qualifying defence spend in financial year (i) 2027-28 and (ii) 2028-29. | Pending |
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 | 104 | 14,924 | 5.3% |
| Staffing | 2 | 223,968 | 79.6% |
| Accommodation | 15 | 36,599 | 13.0% |
| MP Travel | 0 | 2,618 | 0.9% |
| Staff Travel | 0 | 3,155 | 1.1% |
| Dependant Travel | 0 | 30 | 0.0% |
Top itemised cost types
| Cost type | Category | Claims | Paid (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stationery & printing | Office Costs | 46 | 5,064 |
| Pooled staffing services | Staffing | 1 | 3,548 |
| Advertising and contact cards | Office Costs | 5 | 2,527 |
| Equipment - purchase | Office Costs | 10 | 2,140 |
| Pooled staffing services | Office Costs | 1 | 1,715 |
| Council tax | Accommodation | 1 | 1,622 |
| Utilities | Accommodation | 14 | 1,175 |
| Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | Office Costs | 19 | 1,036 |
| Training - staff | Office Costs | 2 | 898 |
| Software & applications | Office Costs | 1 | 720 |
| Newspapers, journals, magazines | Office Costs | 15 | 550 |
| Bought-in services | Office Costs | 1 | 235 |
Most recent
| Date | Category | Description | Paid (£) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | XMA March 2025 | 35 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | WWW.AMAZON. [***] [200011725-10752] | 17 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Staffing Volunteer - agreed arrangement costs | Subsistence | 7 | Paid |
| 25 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | KEITH AVIS PRINTERS 0 [200011725-6901] | 1,060 | Paid |
| 25 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Advertising and contact cards | KEITH AVIS PRINTERS 0 [200011725-6900] | 810 | Paid |
| 25 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Advertising and contact cards | KEITH AVIS PRINTERS 0 [200011725-6899] | 49 | Paid |
| 25 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | [200011803-531] | 28 | Paid |
| 21 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | [200011803-532] | 34 | Paid |
| 21 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | [200011803-533] | 13 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 20 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 5 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 5 | Paid |
| 15 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Newspapers, journals, magazines | TELEGRAPH SUBSCRIPTION [200011725-8792] | 35 | Paid |
| 10 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Utilities | Electricity | 71 | Paid |
| 27 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | XMA March 2025 | 200 | Paid |
| 25 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 7 | Paid |
| 25 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 7 | Paid |
| 20 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | KEITH AVIS PRINTERS 0 | 82 | Paid |
| 20 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 23 | Paid |
| 20 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Ink for printer paid for on personal card. [200011802-169] | 20 | 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. (a) Support linked to an MP but received by a local party organisation or indirectly via a central party organisation3 entries
21 Oct 2025
Name of donor: Dr Sarah Ingham
Address of donor: private
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: Sponsorship of a fundraising dinner, value £2,005.90
Donor status: individual
(Registered 15 October 2025)
21 Oct 2025
Name of donor: James Uffindell
Address of donor: private
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: £5,000 donation towards the provision of a member of staff
Donor status: individual
(Registered 14 October 2025)
17 Jun 2025
Name of donor: Dr Sarah Ingham
Address of donor: private
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: £5,000
Donor status: individual
(Registered 10 June 2025)
H · Ward results
Most recent winning councillor in each ward — 24 wards, 32 councillor seats.
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Votes | Election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assington | Lee Jonathan Parker | Liberal Democrats | 452 | 04 May 2023 |
| Box Vale | Bryn Hurren | Liberal Democrats | 684 | 04 May 2023 |
| Brantham | Alastair McCraw | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 560 | 04 May 2023 |
| Brett Vale | John Ward | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 457 | 04 May 2023 |
| Bures St Mary Nayland | Isabelle Anne Lawrence Reece | Conservative and Unionist Party | 369 | 04 May 2023 |
| Capel St Mary | John Whyman | Liberal Democrats | 635 | 04 May 2023 |
| Chadacre | Michael John Holt | Conservative and Unionist Party | 748 | 04 May 2023 |
| Chadacre | Stephen Albert Plumb | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 712 | 04 May 2023 |
| Copdock Washbrook | David Busby | Liberal Democrats | 591 | 04 May 2023 |
| East Bergholt | Sallie Jean Davies | Green Party of England and Wales | 546 | 04 May 2023 |
| Ganges | Derek Stephen Davis | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 310 | 04 May 2023 |
| Great Cornard | Mark David Newman | Conservative and Unionist Party | 660 | 04 May 2023 |
| Great Cornard | Peter Beer | Conservative and Unionist Party | 658 | 04 May 2023 |
| Great Cornard | Ruth Anne Hendry | Green Party of England and Wales | 694 | 04 May 2023 |
| Hadleigh North | Simon Dowling | Green Party of England and Wales | 230 | 04 May 2023 |
| Hadleigh South | Jane Margaret Carruthers | Green Party of England and Wales | 539 | 04 May 2023 |
| Hadleigh South | Kathryn Susanne Grandon | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 498 | 04 May 2023 |
| Lavenham | Margaret Valerie Maybury | Conservative and Unionist Party | 966 | 04 May 2023 |
| Lavenham | Paul John Clover | Conservative and Unionist Party | 844 | 04 May 2023 |
| Long Melford | John Michael Nunn | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 1,069 | 04 May 2023 |
| Long Melford | Liz Malvisi | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 571 | 04 May 2023 |
| North West Cosford | Deborah Saw | Green Party of England and Wales | 640 | 04 May 2023 |
| Orwell | Daniel Grant Potter | Green Party of England and Wales | 509 | 04 May 2023 |
| South East Cosford | Leigh Jamieson | Green Party of England and Wales | 811 | 04 May 2023 |
| Sproughton Pinewood | Brian Riley | Conservative and Unionist Party | 474 | 04 May 2023 |
| Sproughton Pinewood | Helen Davies | Liberal Democrats | 496 | 04 May 2023 |
| Stour | Mary McLaren | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 448 | 04 May 2023 |
| Sudbury North East | Alison Owen | Labour Party | 176 | 04 May 2023 |
| Sudbury North West | Jessie Kate Carter | Green Party of England and Wales | 800 | 04 May 2023 |
| Sudbury North West | Tim Regester | Green Party of England and Wales | 537 | 04 May 2023 |
| Sudbury South East | Adrian Osborne | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 187 | 04 May 2023 |
| Sudbury South West | Laura Smith | Green Party of England and Wales | 414 | 04 May 2023 |
I · Demographics
| Indicator | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 92,317 | Electorate 74,619 (2024) |
| Median age | 49 | years |
| Degree-educated | 29.5% | level 4 or above |
| Ethnicity (White) | 96.7% | 2021 Census ethnic group |
| Owner-occupied | 71.8% | households |
| Private-rented | 14.8% | households |
| Social-rented | 13.3% | households |
| Employment rate | 55.5% | 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.