East of England · England · 75,154Boundary · 2023

Southend West & Leigh

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Created in the 2023 boundary review, from parts of Leigh and Southend West.

Dispatch
Apr 2026

Won by Lab in its first election in 2024 by 4.2%. Centred on Southend-on-Sea. Population 102,829.

Elected in 2024, David Burton-Sampson has made mental health his most visible cause, drawing on personal experience -- the death of a close friend by suicide -- to drive parliamentary action. He chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Suicide and Mental Health, has spoken in Commons debates on the subject, and organised mental health walks in his constituency, earning BBC and Mirror coverage in early 2026. On assisted dying, he broke from the Labour majority twice in June 2025, backing stronger safeguards in the Terminally Ill Adults Bill -- including tighter advertising restrictions and additional guidance requirements -- placing him among MPs who supported the Bill's principles while pushing for more protective measures. He also voted against a closure motion in May 2025, resisting attempts to curtail parliamentary debate.

Otherwise, Burton-Sampson is a 99.3% party-line voter -- one of the more loyally aligned Labour MPs -- with an 87% voting participation rate, broadly in line with Commons averages. His stance profile shows strong support for progressive taxation and workers' rights, near-total opposition to Lords amendments (0% aligned with Lords scrutiny positions), and weaker alignment with pro-business or criminal justice reform stances. His speeches span economy and jobs, health, social care, and crime across 120 contributions in 85 debates, suggesting a broad rather than narrowly specialist parliamentary focus.

426
Commons votes
This parliament
£31k
Median income
HMRC · 2024
75.2k
Electorate
2024 GE

A new constituency created in the 2023 boundary review.

Current Member of Parliament

David Burton-Sampson

David Burton-Sampson

Labour Party

David Burton-Sampson is the Labour MP for Southend West and Leigh, and has been an MP continually since 4 July 2024.

Notable Votes

Vote on New Clause 2 to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, debated alongside related amendments including provisions on guidance, devolution, and regulatory consultation. The excerpts focus on New Clause 20, which would require the Secretary of State to issue guidance (consulting chief medical officers and palliative/hospice care providers) and enable Welsh Ministers to issue guidance on devolved health matters.

MP voted YesAgainst party majority

Vote on whether to strengthen the advertising ban in the Assisted Dying Bill by requiring that any advertising restrictions also cover situations where advertisers know their adverts could influence vulnerable people's choices — going further than the basic ban proposed by the bill's sponsor Kim Leadbeater.

MP voted YesAgainst party majority
Closure motion16 May 2025

A closure motion was voted on to end debate and force an immediate vote on the matter under discussion. Closure motions are a procedural tool used to curtail further debate; passing one (288 Ayes vs 239 Noes) meant the House moved directly to a division on the substantive question.

MP voted NoAgainst party majority

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Voting at a Glance

Won by Lab in its first election in 2024 by 4.2%. Centred on Southend-on-Sea. Population 102,829.

2024 General Election

§ 06This week in Westminster.Live · today’s sittingOrder Paper · refreshed daily

Burton-Sampson’s scheduled Commons activity this week — whipped divisions, oral questions, debates — drawn from the House of Commons Order Paper.

§ 07The record, at a glance.440 divisions voted

Two readings of the same data. Issue volume shows where Burton-Sampson has cast the most ballots — a proxy for engagement, not direction. Notable votes are the moments where the whip was free or where they broke ranks.

Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted · cumulative this Parliament
Taxation
96
Economy
81
Crime & Policing
45
Education
39
Employment
37
Constitution and Democracy
26
Notable votes
Free votes and rebellions — moments the MP’s own judgment matters more than the whip
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: New Clause 213 Jun 2025 · free vote
Aye
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Amendment (b) to New Clause 1413 Jun 2025 · free vote
Aye
Closure motion16 May 2025 · free vote
No
§ 08The local picture.10 wards

Constituencies are not uniform. Below — the local council make-up, key facts worth knowing, and the neighbouring seats on either side.

WardCouncillorVotesParty
BelfairsJack Anthony Warren1,006Conserva
Blenheim ParkShahid Nadeem1,089Labour P
ChalkwellJames Ian Courtenay975Conserva
Eastwood ParkDave Poulton1,419Liberal
LeighStuart Allen1,725Green Pa
PrittlewellDavid Alexander Garston1,032Conserva
St LaurenceMadison Faulkner-Hatt1,164Labour P
St LukesJane Norman911Labour P
West LeighLesley Salter1,086Conserva
WestboroughPamela Kinsella1,063Labour P
Population (2021 Census)
102,829
Electorate 75,154 · 2024 register
Median income
£31,000
HMRC SPI 2024
Households renting privately
23.1%
England average 20.0%
Schools
32
16 primary · 8 secondary
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More constituency data is being added, including local issue analysis and historical trends. Learn about our methodology. View data sources & attribution.