South West · England · 77,905Boundary · 2023

Stroud

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Dispatch
Apr 2026

A safe Lab seat, won with 46% of the vote in 2024. Covers Stroud, Cam and Stonehouse (Stroud). Population 96,620, notably older (median age 47 vs 41 nationally). Recorded crime is 64% below the national average.

A GP-turned-MP, Simon Opher has carved out a distinctly independent position on welfare and disability policy, breaking with Labour on five separate occasions. Most significantly, he voted against the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill at Third Reading in July 2025 -- one of the more consequential rebellions against the government's welfare reforms -- and backed amendments to protect disabled people with fluctuating conditions and uprate Northern Ireland payments with inflation. He also defied the whip to support a climate duty on local councils during the English Devolution Bill's report stage, and voted against new protest-criminalisation regulations expanding the Public Order Act. These six rebel votes make him one of the more independently-minded Labour MPs in the 2024 intake.

At 79% participation he sits somewhat below the Commons average, though his speech record is substantial: 295 contributions across 95 debates, heavily weighted towards health (58 contributions) and social care (46). His voting profile reflects genuine tensions -- he scores 97% on progressive taxation but only 57% on climate action, and his deviations from Labour colleagues are most pronounced on disability benefits (+88 percentage points above party average) and welfare reform (-59pp), consistent with his rebel votes. He is a 97.9% party-line voter overall, meaning his dissent is targeted rather than habitual.

385
Commons votes
This parliament
£27k
Median income
HMRC · 2024
77.9k
Electorate
2024 GE

Lab regained this seat from Con — last held it in 2017.

Current Member of Parliament

Simon Opher

Simon Opher

Labour Party

Dr Simon Opher is the Labour MP for Stroud, and has been an MP continually since 4 July 2024.

Notable Votes

MPs voted on new regulations expanding the Public Order Act 2023 to criminalise interference with key national infrastructure, such as energy, transport, and water systems. This extends powers introduced to tackle disruptive protest tactics used by groups like Just Stop Oil.

MP voted NoAgainst party majorityLikely whipped

Vote on New Clause 29, which would have imposed a climate duty on local authorities and combined authorities as part of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill. Supporters argued local councils are responsible for around a third of emissions and need a formal obligation to act on climate, while the government indicated ambition should go beyond the Bill's floor but resisted the specific duty.

MP voted YesAgainst party majorityLikely whipped

Vote on Amendment 38 to the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill, which would have provided greater certainty and protections for disabled people with fluctuating conditions while the government's review of PIP assessments (the Timms review) is ongoing. Critics argued the Bill was putting cuts before the review, leaving vulnerable people uncertain about their entitlements.

MP voted YesAgainst party majorityLikely whipped

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Voting at a Glance

A safe Lab seat, won with 46% of the vote in 2024. Covers Stroud, Cam and Stonehouse (Stroud). Population 96,620, notably older (median age 47 vs 41 nationally). Recorded crime is 64% below the national average.

2024 General Election

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

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

§ 07The record, at a glance.399 divisions voted

Two readings of the same data. Issue volume shows where Opher 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
89
Economy
73
Crime & Policing
43
Education
34
Employment
33
Welfare and Benefits
26
Notable votes
Free votes and rebellions — moments the MP’s own judgment matters more than the whip
Draft Public Order Act 2023 (Interference With Use or Operation of Key National Infrastructure) Regulations 202514 Jan 2026
No
English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill Report Stage: New Clause 2924 Nov 2025
Aye
Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill Committee: Amendment 3809 Jul 2025
Aye
§ 08The local picture.21 wards

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

WardCouncillorVotesParty
Amberley WoodchesterSarah Canning420Green Pa
Berkeley ValeCharles James Tuffin881Conserva
Berkeley ValeLindsey Jane Green1,094Conserva
Berkeley ValePaul Turner935Conserva
CainscrossDave Mathews971Labour P
CainscrossElizabeth Ross Stanley989Labour P
CainscrossFraser Dahdouh954Labour P
Cam EastIan Hamilton662Labour P
Cam EastMilly Hill583Labour P
Cam WestChris Haynes590Labour P
Cam WestTerri Kinnison528Labour P
ChalfordHelen Fenton1,279Green Pa
Population (2021 Census)
96,620
Electorate 77,905 · 2024 register
Median income
£26,500
HMRC SPI 2024
Households renting privately
13.8%
England average 20.0%
Schools
63
41 primary · 6 secondary
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