Torfaen / data
Nick Thomas-Symonds · Labour Party · sitting since 07 May 2015 · every division, speech and committee appearance.
Since election
4006days
from 07 May 2015
Divisions
187
of 504 possible
Attendance
37%
317 absent / paired
Whip alignment
95%
vs party majority
Speeches
543
47 debates
Written Qs
0
tabled
Committees
0
memberships
Expenses
£260k paid
FY 2024–2025 · 105 claims
Interests
9
3 categories
A · Overview
Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted — engagement only, not direction.
| Issue | Volume | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Taxation | 38 | |
| Economy | 31 | |
| Constitution and Democracy | 23 | |
| Welfare and Benefits | 19 | |
| Employment | 16 | |
| Crime & Policing | 13 | |
| Universal Credit | 13 | |
| Defence and Foreign Affairs | 12 |
Speech topics
Words spoken, by topic. Source: Hansard.
| Topic | Debates | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Utilities | 1 | — |
| Energy | 2 | — |
| Economy Jobs | 24 | 17,625 |
| Defence | 12 | 16,964 |
| Health | 11 | 14,618 |
| Social Care | 10 | 10,393 |
| Other | 7 | 8,584 |
| Fiscal Policy | 8 | 7,493 |
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 | No |
| 20 Jun 2025 | Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Amendment 12Vote on whether to add a provision to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill ensuring that if an independent doctor dies or becomes to… | Free vote | Aye |
| 20 Jun 2025 | Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Amendment 77Vote on an amendment to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill that would prevent someone from qualifying as 'terminally ill' under th… | Free vote | No |
C · Speeches
| Date | Contribution | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Apr 2026 | Contaminated Blood: CompensationI thank my hon. Friend and pay tribute to him for the work he has done campaigning for victims. On IBCA and the culture, and on how it treats evidence, as I said, there needs to be… HealthSocial Care | 112 |
| 23 Apr 2026 | Contaminated Blood: CompensationThe right hon. Gentleman quite correctly raises not only the fact that people have waited decades for compensation, but the urgency with which we want to drive this forward. To be … HealthSocial Care | 97 |
| 23 Apr 2026 | UK-EU RelationsThe common understanding that we agreed with the EU last year allowed for particular carve-outs, which the Government are negotiating. I will say to the hon. Gentleman, though, tha… Economy JobsEnergyAgriculture | 87 |
| 23 Apr 2026 | UK-EU RelationsJust this week and last, I have been across the channel to speak to EU counterparts and counterparts in member states. We are making good progress with the EU in our strategic part… Economy JobsEnergyAgriculture | 54 |
| 23 Apr 2026 | Contaminated Blood: CompensationI look forward to an invitation from my hon. Friend and I pay tribute to his work as co-chair of the all-party parliamentary group. What he says about the voice of the community go… HealthSocial Care | 112 |
| 23 Apr 2026 | Contaminated Blood: CompensationI pay tribute to the right hon. Gentleman’s work in providing a voice for the pupils who suffered such heinous medical experimentation at Treloar’s. On the issue of the evidence, g… HealthSocial Care | 87 |
| 23 Apr 2026 | UK-EU RelationsThe new UK-EU strategic partnership will bear down on household bills, provide opportunities for young people and create jobs. The Opposition, for reasons best known to them, have … Economy JobsEnergyAgriculture | 33 |
| 23 Apr 2026 | UK-EU RelationsThe hon. Gentleman and I work very well on other issues; I suspect that over the next 12 months, this is an issue on which we are going to disagree. If he is genuinely asking me at… Economy JobsEnergyAgriculture | 69 |
| 23 Apr 2026 | UK-EU RelationsMy hon. Friend is absolutely right that the UK and EU share many challenges. That is why the Government have agreed a new strategic partnership with the EU to bolster our shared re… Economy JobsEnergyAgriculture | 61 |
| 23 Apr 2026 | UK-EU RelationsErasmus+ will indeed provide tens of thousands of opportunities, particularly for young people. On energy, we are committed to strengthening our energy partnership with the EU to l… Economy JobsEnergyAgriculture | 70 |
| 23 Apr 2026 | Public Contracts: Value for MoneyI entirely agree with my hon. Friend’s assessment of Capita’s lamentable performance on the civil service pension scheme. We have to take individual decisions on contracts. For exa… Fiscal PolicyEconomy Jobs | 85 |
| 23 Apr 2026 | UK-EU RelationsThe common understanding agreed between the UK and the EU last May provides for carve-outs, subject to negotiation. But if the hon. Gentleman seriously thinks that all the export c… Economy JobsEnergyAgriculture | 50 |
| 23 Apr 2026 | UK-EU RelationsThat is an absolutely absurd question. The hon. Gentleman is asking that question when his party’s position is to keep in place all the fees that we currently have to pay on export… Economy JobsEnergyAgriculture | 79 |
| 23 Apr 2026 | Public Contracts: Value for MoneyMy hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, is doing great work to ensure that public procurement is on the side of working people. Outsourcing by default has not d… Fiscal PolicyEconomy Jobs | 57 |
| 23 Apr 2026 | UK-EU TradeWe are taking forward negotiations with the EU to drive investment, jobs and growth for the UK pragmatically. On ideological grounds, the Conservatives and Reform would undo it all… Economy JobsEnergyUtilities | 40 |
D · Written questions
No written questions tabled by this MP in our records.
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 | 76 | 22,715 | 8.7% |
| Accommodation | 22 | 34,531 | 13.3% |
| MP Travel | 0 | 2,059 | 0.8% |
| Staff Travel | 0 | 1,501 | 0.6% |
| Staffing | 0 | 199,045 | 76.6% |
Top itemised cost types
| Cost type | Category | Claims | Paid (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utilities | Office Costs | 5 | 7,142 |
| Pooled staffing services | Office Costs | 1 | 4,600 |
| Rent | Office Costs | 3 | 3,750 |
| Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Office Costs | 13 | 1,663 |
| Cleaning services | Office Costs | 22 | 1,462 |
| Council tax | Accommodation | 1 | 1,189 |
| Software & applications | Office Costs | 2 | 983 |
| Waste disposal, confidential waste & rubbish collection | Office Costs | 2 | 963 |
| Stationery & printing | Office Costs | 16 | 712 |
| Utilities | Accommodation | 11 | 565 |
| Advertising and contact cards | Office Costs | 3 | 408 |
| Equipment - purchase | Office Costs | 3 | 377 |
Most recent
| Date | Category | Description | Paid (£) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Utilities | Electricity | 0 | Repaid |
| 24 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Utilities | Water | 812 | Paid |
| 21 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Landline & internet package | 127 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 16 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 10 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 10 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 10 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 9 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 5 | Paid |
| 04 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Utilities | Electricity | 599 | Paid |
| 28 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Cleaning services | Cleaning for office | 100 | Paid |
| 28 Feb 2025 | Accommodation Utilities | Electricity | 48 | Paid |
| 24 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Landline & internet package | 127 | Paid |
| 23 Feb 2025 | Accommodation Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Internet | 30 | Paid |
| 19 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Advertising and contact cards | ADVANCE PAYMENT REQ Advert for South Wales Argus | 120 | Paid |
| 18 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Cleaning services | [***] | 17 | Paid |
| 04 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Utilities | Electricity | 98 | Paid |
| 03 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Cleaning services | Cleaning of office | 100 | Paid |
| 27 Jan 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | 44 | Paid |
| 23 Jan 2025 | Office Costs Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Landline & internet package | 127 | 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 earnings5 entries
02 Dec 2025
Payment: £529.27 Royalty payments for a previously published book
Received on: 25 November 2025. Hours: No extra hours.
Ultimate payer: Weidenfeld & Nicolson United Kingdom, Orion Publishing Group (Publisher), Carmelite House, 50 Victoria Embankment, London EC47 0DZ
(Registered 28 November 2025)
02 Sept 2025
Payment: £946.34 Royalties for books written before entering Parliament.
Received on: 29 July 2025. Hours: no additional hours.
Ultimate payer: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC (Publisher), 50 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3DB
(Registered 8 August 2025)
13 May 2025
Payment: £97.61 Royalties for book written before entering Parliament.
Received on: 30 April 2025. Hours: no additional hours.
Ultimate payer: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, 50 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3DB
(Registered 1 May 2025)
13 May 2025
Payment: £515.35 Royalties for book written before entering Parliament.
Received on: 30 April 2025. Hours: no additional hours.
Ultimate payer: Weidenfeld & Nicolson United Kingdom, Orion Publishing Group, Carmelite House, 50 Victoria Embankment, London. EC47 0DZ
(Registered 1 May 2025)
18 Apr 2024
Role, work or services: Royalties for books
Payer: The Wylie Agency (UK) Ltd, 17 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3JA
3. Gifts, benefits and hospitality from UK sources1 entry
02 Sept 2025
Name of donor: BBC
Address of donor: Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London W1A 1AA
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: Associated with an appearance on Any Questions, car travel to and from my constituency to Stogursey and District Victory Village Hall, near Bridgwater, Somerset. Value is estimated, value £160
Date received: 22 August 2025
Date accepted: 22 August 2025
Donor status: company, registration RC000057
(Registered 26 August 2025)
8. Miscellaneous3 entries
03 Jun 2025
Honorary Fellowship of St Edmund Hall, Oxford University. This is an unpaid role.
Date interest arose: 2 June 2025
(Registered 2 June 2025)
29 May 2024
Member of the Neighbourhood Board for Cwmbran in my capacity as the local MP. This is an unpaid role.
Date interest arose: 8 May 2024
(Registered 21 May 2024; updated 1 May 2025)
18 Apr 2024
Barrister, not currently practising.
(Registered 3 June 2015)
H · Ward results
Most recent winning councillor in each ward — 18 wards, 38 councillor seats.
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Votes | Election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abersychan | Chris Tew | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 1,027 | 05 May 2022 |
| Abersychan | Giles Davies | Labour Party | 935 | 05 May 2022 |
| Abersychan | Lynda Clarkson | Labour Party | 772 | 05 May 2022 |
| Blaenavon | Janet Jones | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 843 | 05 May 2022 |
| Blaenavon | Liam James Cowles | Labour Party | 726 | 05 May 2022 |
| Blaenavon | Nick Horler | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 818 | 05 May 2022 |
| Coed Eva | Fiona Claire Cross | Labour Party | 435 | 05 May 2022 |
| Croesyceiliog | Joanne Gauden | Labour Party | 948 | 05 May 2022 |
| Croesyceiliog | Richard Giles Clark | Labour Party | 950 | 05 May 2022 |
| Fairwater | Jayne Watkins | Labour Party | 660 | 05 May 2022 |
| Fairwater | Rose Seabourne | Labour Party | 697 | 05 May 2022 |
| Greenmeadow | Mandy Owen | Labour Party | 427 | 05 May 2022 |
| Llanfrechfa Ponthir | Karl Gauden | Labour Party | 389 | 05 May 2022 |
| Llantarnam | Jason O'Connell | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 489 | 02 Feb 2023 |
| Llanyrafon | David Hartwell Williams | Labour Party | 469 | 05 May 2022 |
| New Inn | Jon James | Labour Party | 848 | 05 May 2022 |
| New Inn | Nick Byrne | Labour Party | 906 | 05 May 2022 |
| New Inn | Rosemary Matthews | Labour Party | 859 | 05 May 2022 |
| Panteg | Anthony John Hunt | Labour Party | 1,480 | 05 May 2022 |
| Panteg | Nathan Yeowell | Labour Party | 1,230 | 05 May 2022 |
| Panteg | Norma Parrish | Labour Party | 1,253 | 05 May 2022 |
| Pontnewydd | David Daniels | Labour Party | 984 | 05 May 2022 |
| Pontnewydd | Stuart Ashley | Labour Party | 863 | 05 May 2022 |
| Pontnewydd | Sue Morgan | Labour Party | 949 | 05 May 2022 |
| Pontnewynydd Snatchwood | Alfie Best | Labour Party | 412 | 05 May 2022 |
| Pontnewynydd Snatchwood | Nicholas Simons | Labour Party | 389 | 05 May 2022 |
| Pontypool Fawr | Caroline Price | Labour Party | 838 | 05 May 2022 |
| Pontypool Fawr | Gaynor Elizabeth James | Labour Party | 812 | 05 May 2022 |
| Pontypool Fawr | Mark Jones | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 940 | 05 May 2022 |
| St Dials | Catherine Bonera | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 530 | 05 May 2022 |
| St Dials | Elizabeth Haynes | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 630 | 05 May 2022 |
| Trevethin Penygarn | Jon Horlor | Labour Party | 574 | 05 May 2022 |
| Trevethin Penygarn | Sue Malson | Labour Party | 676 | 05 May 2022 |
| Two Locks | Colette Anne Thomas | Labour Party | 781 | 05 May 2022 |
| Two Locks | Peter Jones | Labour Party | 695 | 05 May 2022 |
| Two Locks | Ron Burnett | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 597 | 05 May 2022 |
| Upper Cwmbran | Lucy Williams | Labour Party | 455 | 05 May 2022 |
| Upper Cwmbran | Steven Evans | Labour Party | 571 | 05 May 2022 |
I · Demographics
| Indicator | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 92,263 | Electorate 71,738 (2024) |
| Median age | 42 | years |
| Degree-educated | 26.8% | level 4 or above |
| Ethnicity (White) | 97.1% | 2021 Census ethnic group |
| Owner-occupied | 65.0% | households |
| Private-rented | 11.2% | households |
| Social-rented | 23.8% | households |
| Employment rate | 54.1% | 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.