David Simmonds.

One of the most notable things about David Simmonds is how rarely he breaks with his party — but when he does, it matters. He crossed the floor twice on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, voting with the Labour government at both Second and Third Reading to support a generational ban on tobacco sales. That puts him among a minority of Conservatives willing to back a flagship public health measure that most of his colleagues opposed. Beyond that, his recent votes follow a predictable Conservative pattern: blocking trade union ballot reforms, opposing the rollback of the academy presumption in schools, and resisting planning regulations that would remove elected councillors from smaller housing decisions.

Simmonds is a 99.6% party-line voter across 454 votes, placing him among the most loyal Conservative MPs. He votes consistently against tax increases and in favour of business, and scores highly on parliamentary and Lords scrutiny — reflecting a broader Conservative resistance to the current government's legislative agenda rather than any maverick streak. His 679 speeches across 182 debates concentrate heavily on local government (122 contributions) and housing (78), with fiscal policy and social care also featuring regularly. His stance data flags one clear outlier: he is significantly more opposed to assisted dying than the average Conservative MP, voting against access in every relevant division.

Simmonds chairs no select committee, but he holds the chairmanship of the all-party parliamentary group on migration — a role consistent with his 2023 advocacy for an asylum-seeker visa scheme. He was appointed a London Councils Parliamentary Vice-President in June 2025, formalising his focus on local government. A 2023 Guardian story raised questions about whether he used parliamentary questions to benefit a donor, though no formal finding followed. Constituency news from the past 90 days is limited, so recent local sentiment cannot be assessed.