London · England · 78,964Boundary · 2023

West Ham & Beckton

Follow⇄ Compare

Created in the 2023 boundary review, replacing West Ham.

Dispatch
Apr 2026

A new constituency created in the 2023 boundary review. Won by Lab in its first election in 2024. Centred on Newham. Population 140,809, notably young (median age 32 vs 41 nationally), a majority-minority constituency. Recorded crime is 56% above the national average.

Asser's most significant parliamentary moment came on 20 June 2025, when he broke from Labour to oppose the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at Third Reading and on several related amendments. He voted against the bill's passage and against provisions designed to close loopholes around voluntary starvation as a route to eligibility -- while also supporting amendments that would have added procedural safeguards around independent doctor assessments. His voting pattern across these divisions suggests opposition to the bill in its final form rather than simple support or opposition to assisted dying in principle. His deviation from the party average on end-of-life autonomy and assisted dying safeguards metrics both run notably higher than Labour's average, underlining this as a genuine area of personal conviction.

Beyond that standout episode, Asser is a reasonably engaged MP, voting in 85% of divisions -- roughly in line with Commons norms -- and backing Labour's position 97% of the time. He is an emphatic supporter of overriding Lords amendments, sitting 26 percentage points above his party's average on that measure, and strongly aligned with progressive taxation and workers' rights. His 85 contributions across 59 debates span health, defence, education, social care, and economy -- a broad portfolio consistent with representing one of London's more deprived urban constituencies. He hosted a workplace recovery symposium at the Commons in April 2026 and attended London City Airport's ministerial visit in February, signalling local economic engagement.

417
Commons votes
This parliament
£30k
Median income
HMRC · 2024
79.0k
Electorate
2024 GE

One of the youngest constituencies — median age 32.

Current Member of Parliament

James Asser

James Asser

Labour Party

James Asser is the Labour MP for West Ham and Beckton, and has been an MP continually since 4 July 2024.

Notable Votes

A 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 Report Stage, after proceedings had been interrupted on 13 June when an objection was raised. The debate excerpts do not reveal the substantive content of New Clause 16.

MP voted YesAgainst party majority

Vote on whether to prevent someone from qualifying as 'terminally ill' under the assisted dying bill solely because they have chosen to stop eating and drinking. The amendment would close a potential loophole where a person who is not otherwise terminally ill could meet the bill's eligibility criteria by voluntarily starving themselves.

MP voted YesAgainst party majority

Vote on an amendment to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill that would prevent someone from qualifying as 'terminally ill' under the Bill solely because they have voluntarily stopped eating and drinking. This matters because without the amendment, a person could potentially use voluntary starvation to meet the terminal illness threshold and access an assisted death.

MP voted NoAgainst party majority

Sign up free to read the full briefing on James Asser.

Sign up free

Voting at a Glance

A new constituency created in the 2023 boundary review. Won by Lab in its first election in 2024. Centred on Newham. Population 140,809, notably young (median age 32 vs 41 nationally), a majority-minority constituency. Recorded crime is 56% above the national average.

2024 General Election

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

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

§ 07The record, at a glance.433 divisions voted

Two readings of the same data. Issue volume shows where Asser 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
86
Taxation
81
Crime & Policing
44
Employment
43
Education
31
Welfare and Benefits
29
Notable votes
Free votes and rebellions — moments the MP’s own judgment matters more than the whip
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: New Clause 1620 Jun 2025 · free vote
Aye
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Amendment 2420 Jun 2025 · free vote
Aye
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Amendment 7720 Jun 2025 · free vote
No
§ 08The local picture.11 wards

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

WardCouncillorVotesParty
BecktonBlossom Young597Labour P
Canning Town NorthAreeq Uddin Chowdhury937Labour P
Canning Town NorthRita Chadha1,080Labour P
Canning Town NorthShaban Mohammed965Labour P
Canning Town SouthAlan Griffiths585Labour P
Canning Town SouthBelgica Flor Guana Ruilachamin536Labour P
Canning Town SouthRohit Dasgupta630Labour P
Custom HouseJames Beckles1,453Labour P
Custom HouseSarah Ruiz1,293Labour P
Custom HouseThelma Rosemond Naa Kai Odoi1,284Labour P
Green Street WestAmar Virdee1,722Labour P
Green Street WestLewis Gordon Godfrey1,876Labour P
Population (2021 Census)
140,809
Electorate 78,964 · 2024 register
Median income
£30,000
HMRC SPI 2024
Households renting privately
36.1%
England average 20.0%
Schools
46
29 primary · 8 secondary
Next · dig deeperEvery division, question, speech and committee record

Mine the full
record → Data view

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.