North West · England · 70,161Boundary · 2023

Widnes & Halewood

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Created in the 2023 boundary review, replacing Halton.

Dispatch
Apr 2026

Won by Lab in its first election in 2024. Covers Widnes, Liverpool and Prescot. Population 96,188.

One of the more active Labour rebels of 2025, Derek Twigg broke with his party on two of the most consequential votes of this parliament. He voted against the welfare reforms in the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill at both Second and Third Reading -- and backed the opposition's procedural amendment to block it entirely. He also voted against the assisted dying legislation at Third Reading. These are not marginal dissents: the welfare votes in particular put him among a minority of Labour MPs willing to oppose a flagship government bill outright. His voting record bears this out -- he sits 54 percentage points below his party average on welfare reform and 34 points above on welfare expansion, making his position on disability benefits one of the sharpest deviations from the Labour mainstream in the Commons.

At 64% voting participation, Twigg is below the Commons average, though his 95.2% party alignment on votes he does cast makes him broadly loyal outside the welfare and assisted dying flashpoints. His 104 contributions across 67 debates show genuine parliamentary engagement. Economy and jobs dominate his speeches (37 contributions), followed by defence (32) -- reflecting his seat on the Defence Committee, which he uses as a platform for sustained scrutiny. He is consistently pro-worker (86% aligned), backs progressive taxation fully, and shows little sympathy for business-friendly or tough-on-crime positions.

311
Commons votes
This parliament
£26k
Median income
HMRC · 2024
70.2k
Electorate
2024 GE

A new constituency created in the 2023 boundary review.

Current Member of Parliament

Derek Twigg

Derek Twigg

Labour Party

Derek Twigg is the Labour MP for Widnes and Halewood, and has been an MP continually since 1 May 1997.

Notable Votes

MPs voted on whether to pass the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill at its final stage in the Commons. The Bill makes changes to welfare benefits, including a gradual increase to the Universal Credit standard allowance, and had been debated at length including proposed amendments to speed up or expand those increases.

MP voted NoAgainst party majorityLikely whipped

MPs voted on whether to give the Universal Credit and Personal Independent Payment Bill a Second Reading, allowing it to progress through Parliament. This bill proposes significant changes to the welfare system, including reforms to how disability benefits (PIP) are assessed and restrictions on who qualifies for the health-related component of Universal Credit.

MP voted NoAgainst party majorityLikely whipped

MPs voted on a 'reasoned amendment' at the Second Reading of the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill — a procedural move by the opposition to block the bill from progressing, signalling rejection of the government's proposed welfare reforms. The bill seeks to make changes to Universal Credit and PIP (Personal Independence Payment) eligibility and assessments.

MP voted YesAgainst party majorityLikely whipped

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Voting at a Glance

Won by Lab in its first election in 2024. Covers Widnes, Liverpool and Prescot. Population 96,188.

2024 General Election

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

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

§ 07The record, at a glance.322 divisions voted

Two readings of the same data. Issue volume shows where Twigg 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
66
Economy
54
Employment
31
Crime & Policing
30
Education
22
Constitution and Democracy
21
Notable votes
Free votes and rebellions — moments the MP’s own judgment matters more than the whip
Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill: Third Reading09 Jul 2025
No
Universal Credit and Personal Independent Payment Bill: Second Reading01 Jul 2025
No
Universal Credit and Personal Independent Payment Bill: Reasoned Amendment at Second Reading01 Jul 2025
Aye
§ 08The local picture.12 wards

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

WardCouncillorVotesParty
AppletonEddie Jones826Labour P
BankfieldTony McDermott810Labour P
BirchfieldAngela Heather Ball878Labour P
Central West BankPamela Wallace476Labour P
Ditton Hale Village HalebankMike Wharton799Labour P
FarnworthAngela McInerney1,046Labour P
Halewood NorthAlan Flute1,300Labour P
Halewood SouthEdna Finneran978Labour P
Halton ViewRob Polhill802Labour P
HighfieldAndrea Wall1,042Labour P
Hough GreenSandra Marie Baker748Labour P
Whiston CrontonTerry Byron1,026Labour P
Population (2021 Census)
96,188
Electorate 70,161 · 2024 register
Median income
£26,200
HMRC SPI 2024
Households renting privately
13.4%
England average 20.0%
Schools
43
29 primary · 4 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.