Yorkshire and The Humber · England · 75,067Boundary · 2023

Wakefield & Rothwell

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Created in the 2023 boundary review, replacing Wakefield.

Dispatch
Apr 2026

Won by Lab in its first election in 2024. Covers Wakefield, Rothwell (Leeds) and Bottom Boat. Population 104,292.

As Roads and Buses Minister, Simon Lightwood has been a notably active presence on transport policy -- both in Westminster and in Wakefield. He secured £500,000 for new Leeds bus routes and cheaper fares in April 2026, personally intervened on safety concerns at Wakefield's bus station after meeting police and operators, and successfully campaigned to keep the city centre Post Office open after launching a public petition. In the Commons, his most recent votes have been entirely on-side with government positions, including supporting Labour's rejection of multiple Lords amendments to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, the Pension Schemes Bill, and opposing Lords-backed powers to strengthen fly-tipping enforcement -- that last vote drawing some scrutiny given its rural relevance.

A 100% party-line voter with no rebel votes on record, Lightwood participates in 62% of divisions -- below the Commons average -- though his ministerial role may account for some of that. His 440 parliamentary contributions are heavily concentrated on transport (98 debates) and local government (55), reflecting his ministerial portfolio. His stance profile shows strong alignment with workers' rights and progressive taxation but notably low scores on welfare expansion (29%) and parliamentary scrutiny (20%), the latter placing him 14 points below his own party's average.

301
Commons votes
This parliament
£27k
Median income
HMRC · 2024
75.1k
Electorate
2024 GE

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

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

§ 07The record, at a glance.317 divisions voted

Two readings of the same data. Issue volume shows where Lightwood 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
Economy
65
Taxation
58
Employment
26
Education
26
Constitution and Democracy
24
Welfare and Benefits
21
Notable votes
Free votes and rebellions — moments the MP’s own judgment matters more than the whip

No rebellions or free votes recorded yet.

§ 08The local picture.6 wards

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

WardCouncillorVotesParty
RothwellConrad Hart-Brooke3,540Liberal
Stanley Outwood EastMatthew Morley2,432Labour P
Wakefield EastNatalie Walton1,754Labour P
Wakefield NorthElizabeth Rhodes1,613Labour P
Wakefield WestHilary Gail Mitchell1,475Labour P
Wrenthorpe Outwood WestBrendan James Fraser1,558Labour P
Population (2021 Census)
104,292
Electorate 75,067 · 2024 register
Median income
£27,100
HMRC SPI 2024
Households renting privately
15.8%
England average 20.0%
Schools
47
31 primary · 4 secondary
Next · dig deeperEvery division, question, speech and committee record

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Filter divisions, search written questions, read every speech since the election. Sortable, searchable, downloadable.

More constituency data is being added, including local issue analysis and historical trends. Learn about our methodology. View data sources & attribution.