Independent MP for East Kilbride and Strathaven.
Joani Reid is now an independent MP, having lost the Labour whip in early April 2026 following a major national security scandal. Her husband was arrested on espionage charges linked to China, and news coverage revealed allegations that she had behaved inappropriately with senior naval officers at a nuclear base and exchanged flirtatious messages with a Royal Navy captain, who subsequently stepped back from duties. She also resigned from the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme. The story drew calls for the Defence Secretary to intervene, with critics arguing she had put the UK at risk. The scandal has defined her parliamentary position since, and she now sits without party affiliation.
Before losing the whip, Reid was an active speaker — 66 contributions across 39 debates, weighted toward economy and jobs, crime, and social care — but her voting participation has since been modest at 58%, below the Commons average. Her stance profile shows consistent support for progressive taxation and workers' rights, but she scores notably low on parliamentary scrutiny (16%) and opposition to Lords involvement (7%), suggesting she largely backed government bills as drafted rather than supporting amendment efforts. Her rebel votes in June 2026 are concentrated on cyber security and steel industry legislation, where she broke with the independent majority, and she backed the government's timetable motion on the National Security (State Threats) Bill — the very legislation most relevant to her personal circumstances.
As an independent, Reid's effective party alignment is difficult to assess cleanly, since the "independent majority" benchmark aggregates a diverse group. She sits on the Home Affairs Committee, which covers policing and national security — a role that may attract further scrutiny given the ongoing espionage case. Her last recorded speech was in February 2026, pre-scandal, and insufficient recent news data makes it hard to track any shift in her local profile since. Voting data beyond July 2026 is not yet available.
Joani Reid is the Independent MP for East Kilbride and Strathaven, and has been an MP continually since 4 July 2024.
Top eight by total divisions voted, this parliament. Volume measures engagement, not direction — see Notable Votes for free-vote moments and rebellions.
Source · The Public Whip · Hansard
Moments where the whip was free, or where Reid broke ranks. Free votes are the truer signal of personal stance.
| Date | Bill / motion | Vote | Whip |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Jun 2026 | Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill Remaining Stages: Amendment 3 | No | Freevs party |
| 16 Jun 2026 | Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill Remaining Stages: New Clause 13 | No | Freevs party |
| 16 Jun 2026 | Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill Remaining Stages: New Clause 14 | No | Freevs party |
Source · Hansard
“Government's defence spending increase is delivering significant benefits to Scotland, and the SNP Government's opposition to defence spending is the real threat to constituents' j…”
“Antisemitism is rising unacceptably; parties seeking office should not engage with platforms linked to anti-Jewish hatred, such as 5Pillars.”
“Presented identical petition emphasizing that pornography production relies on coercion and that violent portrayals normalize misogyny and sexual violence against women and girls.”
“Voices concern that British Jews fear exclusion from public life following the ban, and seeks assurance that Israelis will be treated equally as any other visitor to the UK.”
Select, joint and other committees Reid currently sits on. Committee work is where much of the line-by-line scrutiny of bills and departments happens, away from the chamber.
| Committee | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Home Affairs Committee | Member | Select |
Source · UK Parliament Committees API
Committee seats are where backbenchers shape legislation and hold departments to account. Reid sits on one.
| Department | Qs | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Home Office | 6 | 21.4% |
| Department for Work and Pensions | 6 | 21.4% |
| Department for Energy Security and Net Zero | 5 | 17.9% |
| Cabinet Office | 4 | 14.3% |
| Scotland Office | 2 | 7.1% |
| Department of Health and Social Care | 2 | 7.1% |
| Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | 1 | 3.6% |
| Ministry of Defence | 1 | 3.6% |
What steps his Department is taking to help improve (a) response times to (i) queries and (ii) complaints and (b) other communication between the Child Maintenance Service and service users.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Whether his Department made an assessment of the impact of zonal pricing of electricity on inward investment into Scottish low carbon electricity.
It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.
What representations he has received from the Scottish Government on the issue of zonal pricing for electricity.
It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.
What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Access to Work scheme in supporting disabled people to (a) enter and (b) remain in employment.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Earthcott Ltd 12 February 2026 |
Type of land/property: Residential property (Flat)
Type of land/property: Residential property (Flat)
Number of properties: 1
Location: London
Rental income: Yes
(Registered 2 August 2024… |
Name of company or organisation: Reid Strategy Limited
Name of company or organisation: Reid Strategy Limited
Nature of business: Personal service company (no longer trading), in the process of … |
Name of company or organisation: [redacted] RTM Company Limited
Name of company or organisation: [redacted] RTM Company Limited
Nature of business: Residents property management company
(Registered 2 Au… |
Project board member of the Jimmy Reid Foundation, a Scottish charitable incorpo Project board member of the Jimmy Reid Foundation, a Scottish charitable incorporated organisation. This is an unpaid role.
(Registered 2 A… |
Source · Members API · Last amended 10 Mar 2026
| Category | £ | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Staffing | 139,014 | 69.5% |
| Office Costs | 24,450 | 12.2% |
| Accommodation | 20,195 | 10.1% |
| MP Travel | 12,427 | 6.2% |
| Dependant Travel | 2,437 | 1.2% |
| Total · 101 claims | 200,119 | 100% |
Source · IPSA · FY 24_25
Nothing tabled for Reid on the published Order Paper this week.
| Year | Constituency | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | East Kilbride and Strathaven | 22,682 | 48.6% | Won |
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joani ReidWON | Lab | 22,682 | 48.6 |
Showing the MP’s own row only. Full result table: see East Kilbride and Strathaven →