Freddie van Mierlo.

A constituency-focused MP who has racked up tangible local wins, van Mierlo reversed a planned fire engine withdrawal from a "strategically important" station in April 2026 after lobbying the fire service directly, personally delivered a greenway petition to Downing Street in February, and accompanied residents to No. 10 over a village post office closure in July 2025. Earlier, he hosted a Westminster Hall debate on National Trails funding, citing a specific bridge at Marsh Lock. The pattern is consistent: local issue identified, parliamentary lever pulled.

His voting participation stands at 41% — well below the Commons average — though this is not uncommon among MPs who prioritise constituency work over the division lobbies. Where he does vote, he follows the Liberal Democrat line without exception. His stance profile puts him strongly behind parliamentary and Lords scrutiny, civil liberties, and assisted dying access, while his low scores on fiscal responsibility and workers' rights measures reflect standard Lib Dem positioning against Labour legislation. He voted against the planning delegation regulations in July 2026, opposing the removal of councillor oversight from smaller applications — a consistent pro-local-democracy instinct, even if his overall score on that dimension sits at only 45%, reflecting mixed votes elsewhere. He sits on the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee.

His 178 contributions span economy, health, local government, environment, and social care — a broad spread rather than a single specialism, though his committee role suggests emerging interest in science and technology policy. Recent 90-day news coverage is neutral in tone, with no significant negative stories. The low participation rate is the main question mark; no data currently explains whether absences reflect paired votes, committee commitments, or other factors.