Walsall & Bloxwich / data
Valerie Vaz · Labour Party · sitting since 06 May 2010 · every division, speech and committee appearance.
Since election
5832days
from 06 May 2010
Divisions
355
of 504 possible
Attendance
70%
149 absent / paired
Whip alignment
97%
vs party majority
Speeches
70
28 debates
Written Qs
60
60 answered
Committees
1
memberships
Expenses
£218k paid
FY 2024–2025 · 123 claims
Interests
3
3 categories
A · Overview
Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted — engagement only, not direction.
| Issue | Volume | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Taxation | 87 | |
| Economy | 52 | |
| Education | 39 | |
| Crime & Policing | 30 | |
| Pensions | 23 | |
| Constitution and Democracy | 22 | |
| Schools | 21 | |
| Employment | 21 |
Speech topics
Words spoken, by topic. Source: Hansard.
| Topic | Debates | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 1 | — |
| Culture Community | 12 | 3,406 |
| Education | 8 | 2,884 |
| Local Government | 10 | 2,837 |
| Economy Jobs | 12 | 906 |
| Crime | 3 | 589 |
| Social Care | 6 | 413 |
| Health | 5 | 333 |
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: New Clause 16A procedural vote on whether to allow New Clause 16 to be formally considered as part of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at Rep… | Free vote | Aye |
| 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 24Vote on whether to prevent someone from qualifying as 'terminally ill' under the assisted dying bill solely because they have chosen to stop… | Free vote | Aye |
C · Speeches
| Date | Contribution | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Mar 2026 | Technology SovereigntyWe have two more speakers, and as I said, I will start calling the Front-Bench spokespeople at 5.08 pm. Your kind colleagues have given you a little extra time, Emily Darlington. DefenceEconomy JobsOther | 31 |
| 10 Mar 2026 | English RugbyOrder. Through the Chair, please. Culture CommunityEducationEconomy Jobs | 5 |
| 10 Mar 2026 | English RugbyEdward Morello will move the motion and the Minister will respond. I remind other hon. Members that they may make a speech only with prior permission from the Member in charge of t… Culture CommunityEducationEconomy Jobs | 57 |
| 10 Mar 2026 | Technology SovereigntyOrder. DefenceEconomy JobsOther | 1 |
| 10 Mar 2026 | Technology SovereigntyBeautifully done. I thank all colleagues for sticking to the time limit. DefenceEconomy JobsOther | 12 |
| 10 Mar 2026 | Technology SovereigntyOrder. Please stay standing if you want to speak. We are very tight on time, because I hope to take the wind-ups at eight minutes past 5. If we have a rough time limit of two minut… DefenceEconomy JobsOther | 45 |
| 02 Mar 2026 | Representation of the People BillThat is true. Our Education Department does a fantastic job, but this work needs to be extended to every single school, and perhaps made compulsory, so that when young people get t… Economy JobsCrimeCulture Community | 449 |
| 02 Mar 2026 | Representation of the People BillIt is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Mid Norfolk (George Freeman). I thank the Minister for engaging with Members. We now have a Bill of seven parts, 81 clauses and 11 sc… Economy JobsCrimeCulture Community | 69 |
| 26 Feb 2026 | Eating Disorders Awareness WeekCan I ask you to speak up, please? People in the Gallery cannot hear. HealthSocial Care | 14 |
| 26 Feb 2026 | Eating Disorders Awareness WeekOrder. If anyone requires any assistance during the course of this debate, please see the Doorkeeper. HealthSocial Care | 16 |
| 26 Feb 2026 | Eating Disorders Awareness WeekOrder. Can I ask the hon. Gentleman to speak up a little? I think people in the Public Gallery cannot really hear. HealthSocial Care | 22 |
| 23 Feb 2026 | Topical QuestionsWill the Minister meet me to discuss the decisions of Walsall council, including the closure of the Walsall Leather Museum against the wishes of local people? HousingLocal GovernmentEconomy Jobs | 26 |
| 27 Jan 2026 | Support for BusinessesHere’s another one: what assessment has the Minister made of the impact on really small independent high street bookshops? This is the National Year of Reading; we want them to sta… Fiscal PolicyEconomy JobsCost Of Living | 34 |
| 22 Jan 2026 | International Day of EducationI have been advised that we have to stick to the motion, which is about the International Day of Education. EducationEconomy Jobs | 20 |
| 22 Jan 2026 | International Day of EducationOrder. I ask the hon. Member to stick to the motion. EducationEconomy Jobs | 11 |
D · Written questions
Top departments
| Department | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Department for Education | 26 | 43.3% |
| Home Office | 9 | 15.0% |
| Department for Business and Trade | 5 | 8.3% |
| Department of Health and Social Care | 5 | 8.3% |
| Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | 4 | 6.7% |
| Attorney General | 3 | 5.0% |
| Department for Culture, Media and Sport | 2 | 3.3% |
| Treasury | 2 | 3.3% |
Most recent
| Date | Department | Question | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09 Mar 2026 | Department for Education | To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness and value for money of the £53 million spent on the Oak National Academy in the last three years, in the context of levels of financial pressures… | Answered |
| 09 Mar 2026 | Department for Education | To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to increase levels of transparency on the Oak National Academy's future funding and scope, in the context of the absence of a public consultation. | Answered |
| 09 Mar 2026 | Department for Education | To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on Oak National Academy’s plans for spending unspent money from the £53 million grant it received from the Government in the last three years. | Answered |
| 25 Feb 2026 | Department for Education | To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to her Answer of 2 February 2026 to Question 109084, on Free Schools, what information her Department holds on the reasons for Walsall Council's payment of £1million to the Department fo… | Answered |
| 25 Feb 2026 | Department for Education | To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help address concerns raised in relation to the Judicial Review of Oak National Academy by (a) education unions, (b) publishers, (c) authors and (d) any other educatio… | Answered |
| 03 Feb 2026 | Home Office | To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many complaints she has received on the new electronic visa system. | Answered |
| 03 Feb 2026 | Home Office | To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many visitors from (a) India, (b) Pakistan, (c) Bangladesh and (d) Nepal were refused visas in 2024. | Answered |
| 03 Feb 2026 | Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make a statement on the recent ministerial visit to Yemen. | Answered |
| 03 Feb 2026 | Home Office | To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many students have claimed asylum (a) while studying in the UK and (b) after completing their studies in each of the last three years. | Answered |
| 28 Jan 2026 | Department for Education | To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 6 January 2026 to Question 99790 on Free Schools, how much funding her Department has provided to Swift Academy in each financial year since 2016-17. | Answered |
| 28 Jan 2026 | Department for Education | To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the funding for the Oak Academy is in the 2025-2026 financial year. | Answered |
| 28 Jan 2026 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has assessed the potential impact of the proposed changes to business rates on small independent bookshops. | Answered |
| 28 Jan 2026 | Department for Education | To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to outline funding arrangements for the Oak National Academy in 2026-2029. | Answered |
| 28 Jan 2026 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed changes to the retail business rates multiplier on the non-domestic rating valuation of different retail property types. | Answered |
| 27 Jan 2026 | Department for Education | To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 6 January 2026 to Question 99790 on Free Schools, if she will publish the criteria used to determine which free schools should be proceeded with. | Answered |
E · Committees
| Committee | Role | House | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panel of ChairsSelect | Member | Commons | 30 Jul 2024 | present |
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 | 98 | 31,615 | 14.5% |
| Accommodation | 19 | 19,901 | 9.1% |
| Staffing | 1 | 162,496 | 74.6% |
| Miscellaneous | 1 | 170 | 0.1% |
| MP Travel | 0 | 3,137 | 1.4% |
| Staff Travel | 0 | 523 | 0.2% |
Top itemised cost types
| Cost type | Category | Claims | Paid (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | Office Costs | 10 | 15,310 |
| Rent | Accommodation | 11 | 15,250 |
| Utilities | Office Costs | 6 | 6,901 |
| Pooled staffing services | Staffing | 1 | 4,600 |
| Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Office Costs | 13 | 3,417 |
| Council tax | Accommodation | 1 | 2,903 |
| Stationery & printing | Office Costs | 46 | 2,273 |
| Mobile telephone - equipment purchase | Office Costs | 4 | 2,208 |
| Software & applications | Office Costs | 14 | 1,772 |
| Utilities | Accommodation | 7 | 1,748 |
| Parking | Office Costs | 1 | 247 |
| Removals | Miscellaneous | 1 | 170 |
Most recent
| Date | Category | Description | Paid (£) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 186 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 65 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 39 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 37 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 18 | Paid |
| 17 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Landline | 267 | Paid |
| 04 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Landline | 250 | Paid |
| 21 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Software & applications | mailchimp 21.2.25 | 111 | Paid |
| 19 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | 139 | Paid |
| 16 Feb 2025 | Accommodation Rent | rent due 15.2.25 | 1,400 | Paid |
| 16 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Rent | rent due 1.3.25 | 1,300 | Paid |
| 16 Feb 2025 | Accommodation Utilities | Dual Fuel | 494 | Paid |
| 07 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 44 | Paid |
| 05 Feb 2025 | Office Costs TV licence | TV licence for office | 170 | Paid |
| 05 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Utilities | Water | 30 | Paid |
| 04 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 22 | Paid |
| 04 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 11 | Paid |
| 04 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 2 | Paid |
| 02 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Rent | Rent due 1.2.24 | 1,300 | Paid |
| 01 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Landline | 171 | 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.
3. Gifts, benefits and hospitality from UK sources1 entry
17 Jun 2025
Name of donor: English Football League
Address of donor: EFL House, 10-12 West Cliff, Preston, Lancashire PR1 8HU.
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: tickets and hospitality for myself and two others at the EFL League 2 play-off final to watch Walsall v AFC Wimbledon at Wembley Stadium, value £1,050
Date received: 26 May 2025
Date accepted: 26 May 2025
Donor status: company, registration 80612
(Registered 11 June 2025)
8. Miscellaneous1 entry
18 Apr 2024
Solicitor (not practising)
9. Family members employed and paid from parliamentary expenses1 entry
18 Apr 2024
Name: Paul Townsend
Relationship: Spouse
Role: Senior Parliamentary Assistant
Working pattern: Full time
(Updated 5 January 2017)
H · Ward results
Most recent winning councillor in each ward — 8 wards, 8 councillor seats.
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Votes | Election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birchills Leamore | Amo Hussain | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,089 | 02 May 2024 |
| Blakenall | Pete Smith | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 971 | 02 May 2024 |
| Bloxwich East | Gary James Flint | Conservative and Unionist Party | 843 | 02 May 2024 |
| Bloxwich West | Michael John Coulson | Labour Party | 1,065 | 02 May 2024 |
| Paddock | Nick Gandham | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,485 | 02 May 2024 |
| Palfrey | Sabina Kausar Ditta | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 2,134 | 02 May 2024 |
| Pleck | Naheed Zohra Gultasib | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 1,459 | 02 May 2024 |
| St Matthews | Eileen Bridie Russell | Labour Party | 1,430 | 02 May 2024 |
I · Demographics
| Indicator | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 115,024 | Electorate 74,951 (2024) |
| Median age | 35 | years |
| Degree-educated | 22.8% | level 4 or above |
| Ethnicity (White) | 59.3% | 2021 Census ethnic group |
| Owner-occupied | 47.8% | households |
| Private-rented | 20.9% | households |
| Social-rented | 31.1% | households |
| Employment rate | 50.1% | 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.