Swansea West / data
Torsten Bell · Labour Party · sitting since 04 Jul 2024 · every division, speech and committee appearance.
Since election
661days
from 04 Jul 2024
Divisions
365
of 504 possible
Attendance
72%
139 absent / paired
Whip alignment
100%
vs party majority
Speeches
763
70 debates
Written Qs
9
9 answered
Committees
0
memberships
Expenses
£152k paid
FY 2024–2025 · 86 claims
Interests
3
2 categories
A · Overview
Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted — engagement only, not direction.
| Issue | Volume | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Taxation | 77 | |
| Economy | 77 | |
| Employment | 36 | |
| Crime & Policing | 32 | |
| Education | 27 | |
| Constitution and Democracy | 26 | |
| Welfare and Benefits | 25 | |
| Pensions | 23 |
Speech topics
Words spoken, by topic. Source: Hansard.
| Topic | Debates | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Fiscal Policy | 46 | 110,421 |
| Economy Jobs | 46 | 95,277 |
| Social Care | 31 | 59,108 |
| Labour Market | 19 | 40,611 |
| Cost Of Living | 26 | 22,126 |
| Local Government | 7 | 9,831 |
| Environment | 3 | 4,314 |
| Transport | 1 | 2,721 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Apr 2026 | Pension Schemes BillI thank the Members from across the House who have contributed to the debate today. Let me respond directly to a few of their comments. I welcome much of the shadow Secretary of St… Fiscal PolicyEconomy JobsLabour Market | 1,037 |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Pension Schemes BillAs always, my hon. Friend asks an important question. As I have said, the entire focus of the Bill is on ensuring that we drive up returns for savers. I am sure that he has already… Fiscal PolicyEconomy JobsLabour Market | 636 |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Pension Schemes BillThat this House disagrees with Lords amendment 35B but proposes amendments (a) and (b) in lieu.—(Torsten Bell.) Fiscal PolicyEconomy JobsLabour Market | 17 |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Pension Schemes BillThat this House insists on its disagreement with Lords amendments 77 and 85 but proposes amendments (a) to (c) in lieu.—(Torsten Bell.) Fiscal PolicyEconomy JobsLabour Market | 22 |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Pension Schemes BillI am afraid the hon. Member has just revealed his lack of focus on what is going on. Pension schemes from around the world are investing in British private assets; it is UK pension… Fiscal PolicyEconomy JobsLabour Market | 78 |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Pension Schemes BillI fear the hon. Lady has not sat through enough of these sessions. Earlier, those on her own Front Bench engaged exactly with some of the arguments that I have made, explaining exa… Fiscal PolicyEconomy JobsLabour Market | 135 |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Pension Schemes BillThat this House disagrees with Lords amendments 37B and 37C but proposes amendments (a) and (b) in lieu.—(Torsten Bell.) Fiscal PolicyEconomy JobsLabour Market | 19 |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Pension Schemes BillResolved, Fiscal PolicyEconomy JobsLabour Market | 1 |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Pension Schemes BillCommencement Fiscal PolicyEconomy JobsLabour Market | 1 |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Pension Schemes BillResolved, Fiscal PolicyEconomy JobsLabour Market | 1 |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Pension Schemes BillResolved, Fiscal PolicyEconomy JobsLabour Market | 1 |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Pension Schemes BillMore than one hour having elapsed since the commencement of proceedings on the Lords message, the proceedings were interrupted (Programme Order, 15 April). Fiscal PolicyEconomy JobsLabour Market | 23 |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Pension Schemes BillThat the House insists on its disagreement with Lords amendments 15 to 24, 27, 30 to 34, 36, 38 to 42, 83 and 88, insists on its amendments 88A and 88C to the words restored to the… Fiscal PolicyEconomy JobsLabour Market | 67 |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Pension Schemes BillThe truth is that there is a range of opinion among ABI members about that. However, there is agreement across the industry about the need to deliver change. I turn to some of the … Fiscal PolicyEconomy JobsLabour Market | 397 |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Pension Schemes BillThe Deputy Speaker put forthwith the Questions necessary for the disposal of the business to be concluded at that time (Standing Order No. 83G). Fiscal PolicyEconomy JobsLabour Market | 24 |
D · Written questions
Top departments
| Department | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Treasury | 4 | 44.4% |
| Attorney General | 2 | 22.2% |
| Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | 2 | 22.2% |
| Department for Work and Pensions | 1 | 11.1% |
Most recent
| Date | Department | Question | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08 Jan 2025 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an estimate of the revenue accrued from capital gains tax on the sale of crypto-assets in the last financial year. | Answered |
| 16 Dec 2024 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many tax-payers were paying capital gains tax on crypto-assets in each of the last five financial years; what the size of the gains made was; and how much revenue the Exchequer has received from c… | Answered |
| 16 Dec 2024 | Department for Work and Pensions | To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her Department’s statistics on the ONS Nomis database on Jobseekers Allowance on-flows by occupation and age, what assessment she has made of the potential reason for ch… | Answered |
| 12 Dec 2024 | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 20 November to Question 13792 on Insolvency: Assets, what information (a) HM Land Registry and (b) Companies House hold on the number of… | Answered |
| 10 Dec 2024 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 2 December 2024 to Question 16634 on high rise building remediation taken on by the FSCS, how much and what proportion of the costs covered by East West Insurance Company pol… | Answered |
| 27 Nov 2024 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate the Financial Services Compensation Scheme has made of the costs (a) of high rise building remediation work taken on by the FSCS and (b) to each insurance company that originally wrote t… | Answered |
| 12 Nov 2024 | Attorney General | To ask the Solicitor General, pursuant to the Answer of 25 October to Question 9653 on Insolvency: Assets, in addition to the registered freehold titles that the Bona Vacantia Division is dealing with, how many registered freehold titles ar… | Answered |
| 16 Oct 2024 | Attorney General | To ask the Solicitor General, how many registered freehold titles in England and Wales are vested in the Crown as bona vacantia as a consequence of companies being dissolved through (a) striking off by the Registrar of Companies and (b) a f… | Answered |
| 30 Aug 2024 | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the remedial work on buildings with (a) faulty cladding systems and (b) defects in compartmentalisation (i) incl… | Answered |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation | 17 | 11,140 | 7.3% |
| Office Costs | 60 | 6,332 | 4.2% |
| Staffing | 1 | 126,867 | 83.3% |
| MP Travel | 0 | 5,014 | 3.3% |
| Staff Travel | 0 | 2,493 | 1.6% |
| Dependant Travel | 0 | 375 | 0.2% |
Top itemised cost types
| Cost type | Category | Claims | Paid (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | Accommodation | 8 | 7,895 |
| Pooled staffing services | Staffing | 1 | 3,000 |
| Equipment - purchase | Office Costs | 8 | 2,605 |
| Council tax | Accommodation | 1 | 2,510 |
| Software & applications | Office Costs | 2 | 1,555 |
| Stationery & printing | Office Costs | 44 | 1,154 |
| Advertising and contact cards | Office Costs | 1 | 403 |
| Utilities | Accommodation | 1 | 335 |
| Moving Fees | Office Costs | 1 | 300 |
| Hotel - UK Not London | Accommodation | 2 | 250 |
| Postage & couriers | Office Costs | 2 | 175 |
| Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Accommodation | 5 | 150 |
Most recent
| Date | Category | Description | Paid (£) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Rent | 2024-25 [***] rent pro-rata | -1,105 | Paid |
| 25 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Rent | Rent | 1,500 | Paid |
| 25 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | 214 | Paid |
| 24 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Internet | 30 | Paid |
| 22 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | 55 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 90 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 56 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 41 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 38 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 36 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 34 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 33 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 25 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 21 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 20 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 18 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 18 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 17 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 14 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 14 | 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 earnings2 entries
08 Apr 2025
Payment: £10,865 Advance for paperback publication
Received on: 5 March 2025. Hours: Payment relates to paperback of a book written prior to being elected.
Ultimate payer: The Random House Group, One Embassy Gardens, 8 Viaduct Gardens, London SW11 7BW
(Registered 1 April 2025)
08 Apr 2025
Role, work or services: Paperback publication
Payer: Robert Caskie (Agent), private address
(Registered 1 April 2025)
4. Visits outside the UK1 entry
24 Feb 2026
Name of donor: Franco-British Colloque Ltd
Address of donor: Station House, Station Approach, East Horsley, Surrey, KT24 6QX
Estimate of the probable value (or amount of any donation): Food and accomodation (€1,000) and transfers (€68) while attending the Franco-British Colloque 2026 in Versailles, value £929
Destination of visit: France
Dates of visit: 15 January 2026 to 17 January 2026
Purpose of visit: Franco-British Colloque 2026
(Registered 14 February 2026)
H · Ward results
Most recent winning councillor in each ward — 10 wards, 31 councillor seats.
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Votes | Election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castle | David Phillips | Labour Party | 1,475 | 05 May 2022 |
| Castle | Fiona Margaret Gordon | Labour Party | 1,613 | 05 May 2022 |
| Castle | Hannah Frederika Lawson | Labour Party | 1,564 | 05 May 2022 |
| Castle | Patience Nansat Bentu | Labour Party | 1,533 | 05 May 2022 |
| Cwmbwrla | Chris Holley | Liberal Democrats | 1,160 | 05 May 2022 |
| Cwmbwrla | Lewis Graham Thomas | Liberal Democrats | 1,136 | 05 May 2022 |
| Cwmbwrla | Peter Malcolm Black | Liberal Democrats | 1,455 | 05 May 2022 |
| Landore | Beverley Hopkins | Labour Party | 1,044 | 05 May 2022 |
| Landore | Mike White | Labour Party | 1,026 | 05 May 2022 |
| Morriston | Andrea Sharon Lewis | Labour Party | 2,471 | 05 May 2022 |
| Morriston | Ceri Evans | Labour Party | 2,741 | 05 May 2022 |
| Morriston | Rob Stewart | Labour Party | 2,665 | 05 May 2022 |
| Morriston | Robert Francis-Davies | Labour Party | 2,487 | 05 May 2022 |
| Morriston | Yvonne Veronica Jardine | Labour Party | 2,366 | 05 May 2022 |
| Mynyddbach | Jess Pritchard | Labour Party | 1,389 | 05 May 2022 |
| Mynyddbach | Mike Lewis | Labour Party | 1,485 | 05 May 2022 |
| Mynyddbach | Sam Pritchard | Labour Party | 1,313 | 05 May 2022 |
| Penderry | Mair Baker | Labour Party | 485 | 27 Apr 2023 |
| Sketty | Cheryl Philpott | Liberal Democrats | 2,358 | 05 May 2022 |
| Sketty | James McGettrick | Liberal Democrats | 2,009 | 05 May 2022 |
| Sketty | Michael Locke | Liberal Democrats | 2,028 | 05 May 2022 |
| Sketty | Mike Day | Liberal Democrats | 2,509 | 05 May 2022 |
| Sketty | Nicola Joan Furlong | Liberal Democrats | 2,102 | 05 May 2022 |
| Townhill | Cyril Anderson | Labour Party | 955 | 05 May 2022 |
| Townhill | David Henry Hopkins | Labour Party | 900 | 05 May 2022 |
| Townhill | Lesley Walton | Labour Party | 903 | 05 May 2022 |
| Uplands | Allan Jeffery | Uplands | 1,641 | 05 May 2022 |
| Uplands | Peter May | Uplands | 1,978 | 05 May 2022 |
| Uplands | Sandra Ann Joy | Uplands | 1,787 | 05 May 2022 |
| Uplands | Stuart James Hemsley Rice | Uplands | 1,663 | 05 May 2022 |
| Waterfront | Sam Bennett | Liberal Democrats | 590 | 05 May 2022 |
I · Demographics
| Indicator | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 109,974 | Electorate 74,236 (2024) |
| Median age | 37 | years |
| Degree-educated | 29.8% | level 4 or above |
| Ethnicity (White) | 86.8% | 2021 Census ethnic group |
| Owner-occupied | 51.0% | households |
| Private-rented | 22.7% | households |
| Social-rented | 25.9% | households |
| Employment rate | 47.3% | 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.