North West · England · 72,029Boundary · 2023

Westmorland & Lonsdale

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Dispatch
Apr 2026

A safe LD seat, won with 63% of the vote in 2024. Covers Kendal, Windermere and Grange-over-Sands. Population 84,579, notably older (median age 51 vs 41 nationally). Recorded crime is 43% below the national average. 6,055 businesses.

Farron's most striking recent act was breaking with his own party five times on the assisted dying bill in June 2025 -- voting against the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at Third Reading and opposing amendments that would have liberalised the framework, while backing two amendments aimed at adding restrictions. This places him well outside the Liberal Democrat mainstream on the issue: his voting record shows 92% alignment with pro-restriction positions compared to his party's 21%, a 71-percentage-point gap. Beyond Westminster, he has been visibly active locally -- campaigning against a partial closure of M6 Junction 38, tabling an Early Day Motion on heating oil prices that attracted 35 signatures, lobbying ministers over a threatened Lake District GP surgery, and calling for tougher water testing standards following pollution incidents in Windermere.

At 54% voting participation, Farron sits below the Commons average, though volume of parliamentary contributions -- 453 across 221 debates -- suggests his time is directed toward speaking rather than voting. He is a near-total opponent of the government's agenda (9% alignment) and taxes (96% anti-tax-increase alignment), consistent with his party's opposition role. His speech topics -- economy, environment, local government, social care -- reflect both national Lib Dem priorities and the rural concerns of his North West constituency. He votes strongly for parliamentary scrutiny and civil liberties, and aligns with his party on most issues outside assisted dying.

250
Commons votes
This parliament
£27k
Median income
HMRC · 2024
72.0k
Electorate
2024 GE

LD held for 5 consecutive elections.

Current Member of Parliament

Tim Farron

Tim Farron

Liberal Democrats

Tim Farron is the Liberal Democrat MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, and has been an MP continually since 5 May 2005. He currently undertakes the role of Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs).

Notable Votes

Vote on New Clause 106, which sought to require women to have an in-person medical consultation before receiving abortion medication, as a safety measure. This was debated alongside New Clause 1, which would have decriminalised abortion for women, making it a free vote on conscience issues around abortion law reform.

MP voted YesAgainst party majorityLikely whipped

Vote on a package of government new clauses to the Crime and Policing Bill at Report Stage, covering measures including: criminalising organising begging for profit, stronger protections for emergency workers against racial and religious abuse, removing the limitation period in child sexual abuse cases, and new offences around internal concealment of items for criminal purposes. The large Aye majority reflects broad government support for these law and order measures.

MP voted NoAgainst party majorityLikely whipped

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

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Voting at a Glance

A safe LD seat, won with 63% of the vote in 2024. Covers Kendal, Windermere and Grange-over-Sands. Population 84,579, notably older (median age 51 vs 41 nationally). Recorded crime is 43% below the national average. 6,055 businesses.

2024 General Election

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

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

§ 07The record, at a glance.276 divisions voted

Two readings of the same data. Issue volume shows where Farron 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
Taxation
60
Economy
48
Employment
39
Crime & Policing
29
Education
22
Pensions
16
Notable votes
Free votes and rebellions — moments the MP’s own judgment matters more than the whip
Crime and Policing Bill Report Stage: New Clause 10617 Jun 2025
Aye
Crime and Policing Bill Report Stage: New Clause 117 Jun 2025
No
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Amendment 2420 Jun 2025 · free vote
Aye
§ 08The local picture.17 wards

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

WardCouncillorVotesParty
Appleby BroughAndy Connell986Liberal
Appleby BroughGraham Simpkins631Liberal
Bowness LythSteve Bavin747Liberal
Coniston HawksheadSuzanne Mary Pender854Liberal
Eamont ShapNeil Hughes1,031Liberal
Eden Lyvennet ValeLorna Ann Baker960Liberal
Eden Lyvennet ValeNeil McCall816Liberal
Grange CartmelAndy Hull2,852Liberal
Greystoke UllswaterJudith Margaret Derbyshire1,150Liberal
Kendal CastleEamonn Matthew Hennessy1,224Liberal
Kendal CastleHelen Ngaire Ladhams1,212Liberal
Kendal HighgateMatt Severn942Liberal
Population (2021 Census)
84,579
Electorate 72,029 · 2024 register
Median income
£26,600
HMRC SPI 2024
Households renting privately
18.4%
England average 20.0%
Schools
71
53 primary · 7 secondary
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More constituency data is being added, including local issue analysis and historical trends. Learn about our methodology. View data sources & attribution.