Labour Party MP for Luton North since (elected). An MP continuously since .
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143
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3
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£1,603.58
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| Party | Office | Area | Period | Began | Ended | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | MP | Luton North | – present | elected | — | Party history |
Parliament's party history for this member: Labour ( – present).
Every entry the member has in the Register of Members' Financial Interests, as Parliament currently publishes it. The wording and values are the member's own declarations; nothing here has been assessed by this site.
Totals add only the entries that declare an amount received: payments for work, donations, gifts, and funded visits (register categories 1.1, 2, 3, 4 and 5). Ongoing employment is listed but not added, because its figure is a rate rather than a sum received. Each entry is dated by when the benefit happened, not when it was registered, and placed under the party the member sat for on that date. A member who changed party therefore has a separate total for each.
| Date | Category | Entry | Declared value | Sitting for | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3. Gifts, UK sources | England and Wales Cricket Board Limited - £500.00 | £500 | Labour | Register record | |
| 3. Gifts, UK sources | Govia Thameslink Railway - £608.00 | £608 | Labour | Register record | |
| 3. Gifts, UK sources | easyJet PLC - £495.58 | £495.58 | Labour | Register record |
I beg to move, That the Committee has considered the draft Voter Identification (Amendment of List of Specified Documents) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2026.
It is a pleasure to see you in the Chair, Sir Edward, for what is my first delegated legislation Committee as a Minister, of which I am sure there will be many. It is also a pleasure to welcome the shadow Minister, the hon. Member for Bridlington and The Wolds, to his place. We have spent a lot of time together in the Chamber, but we had not yet officially appeared opposite each other. The draft statutory instruments, which were laid before the House on 13 July 2026, introduce certain changes to the electoral system in Northern Ireland. Their primary objective is to expand voter accessibility and encourage participation across the electorate in Northern Ireland. They will align certain rules governing Northern Ireland elections more closely with those of Great Britain. The draft regulations update the list of acceptable forms of ID that can be used by voters at polling stations in parliamentary and Assembly elections in Northern Ireland. The draft voter identification order makes identical changes to the list for local elections in Northern Ireland. The draft local elections order will uprate expenditure limits for candidates standing in local elections in Northern Ireland to reflect rising costs caused by inflation. An equivalent uplift in the spending limit for reserved elections in Great Britain and for UK parliamentary and Assembly elections in Northern Ireland was approved by Parliament in 2023. Before I proceed, I draw the Committee’s attention to the correction slip for the draft voter identification order, which corrects a minor typo. In the last paragraph, on page 1, the words “on him section” have been amended to “on Him by section”, in reference to section 84 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998. I am sure that the beady-eyed on the Committee had already spotted that typo. That section allows Northern Ireland local election rules to be amended by Order in Council, and “Him” is a reference to His Majesty the King. The draft regulations will introduce new identity documents that can be used by voters at polling stations in UK parliamentary, Northern Ireland Assembly and local elections. The documents being added are the Commonwealth passport, the proof of age standards scheme card, the HM armed forces veteran card, and the blue badge from the disabled persons’ parking scheme in Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Those forms of ID are already accepted at polling stations in the rest of the United Kingdom. Expanding the list of acceptable documents will support electoral participation across Northern Ireland. Both the chief electoral officer for Northern Ireland and the Electoral Commission are supportive of the change. Ensuring that those who cast their vote are eligible to do so is vital to uphold trust in electoral institutions and processes. The requirement for an elector to produce ID is an important part of protecting that principle. Producing photographic ID at polling stations has been a requirement in Northern Ireland elections since 2003, and it is a well-understood and established part of the electoral process. Security requirements mean that the list of acceptable IDs in Northern Ireland has historically been more restrictive and updated less frequently than the list in Great Britain. Increasing the number of acceptable IDs will remove barriers to voting and support more people in Northern Ireland, including some of the most vulnerable in society, to participate in our democracy, while retaining important electoral security measures. The draft local elections order will uprate the spending limits for candidates in Northern Ireland’s local elections. The limit will increase from £600 plus 5p per elector registered to vote in the district electoral area in which the candidate is standing, to £960 plus 8p per elector registered to vote in the district electoral area. That will bring the spending limit in Northern Ireland in line with the spending limit for local elections in England. The existing spending limits for local election candidates in Northern Ireland have remained unchanged since they were first set in 2005. Spending limits across all other reserved elections were uprated to reflect the rise in inflation in 2023. Consequently, candidates standing in local elections in Northern Ireland face a disadvantage compared with those standing in parliamentary and Assembly elections in Northern Ireland, or in local elections in England. An effective democracy relies on the ability of political parties, candidates and other campaigners to communicate their views so that voters can make informed decisions. The current limits mean that local election candidates in Northern Ireland are restricted by lower real-term spending on campaigning. The Electoral Commission has been consulted on the changes, in line with the statutory duty of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and it supports the new measures. The draft instruments are necessary to support more people in Northern Ireland to participate in and engage with our democracy. Expanding the list of acceptable voter IDs is an important step in updating electoral processes to reflect the modern electorate in Northern Ireland while preserving the additional security features that are essential to maintaining trust in Northern Ireland’s electoral system. Uprating local election campaign spending limits will ensure that spending limits remain aligned in real terms with the original limits set by Parliament.
I thank the shadow Minister, the hon. Member for Bridlington and The Wolds, and the Lib Dem spokesperson, the hon. Member for Wimbledon, for their input. I will respond to as many of their points as possible. To respond to the Lib Dem spokesperson, the lists are not identical between the rest of GB and Northern Ireland, because Northern Ireland requires a photographic form of identification. There is some divergence between the two, but that is a historic and well-trodden path for Northern Ireland. That is the reason why there is some difference. Let me address the points made by the shadow Minister. First, on the veterans card, we totally understand that there will be some sensitivities, and that some people will not feel comfortable using their veterans card or carrying it with them, but the expansion to include it is about choice and ensuring that veterans can, should they wish to do so, present their veterans card at the voting booths. The Government are looking keenly at measures to ensure that we do not lose voters from the electoral register—that is across my desk. The reason we are introducing the measures is to ensure the widest possible participation in all elections in Northern Ireland, and that is what we want to continue doing. At this stage, we do not envisage revisiting the candidate spend. On votes at 16, of course our positions differ. We will revisit that specifically for Northern Ireland when it comes into force. The wider context of reforms has come up time and again in relation to Northern Ireland, but it is not necessarily about what the politicians want to change; it is about what businesses, people and the public sector in Northern Ireland will be crying out for: a wider package of reforms, beyond the scope of what we are discussing today. The Committee will agree that encouraging participation in our democracy is vital. I hope that the Committee agrees that the draft instruments will maintain the integrity of the electoral system in Northern Ireland, respecting well-understood safeguards, while adapting to keep pace with modern practices. I am pleased to introduce the measures and I commend them to the Committee. Question put and agreed to. Resolved, That the Committee has considered the draft Voter Identification (Amendment of List of Specified Documents) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2026. Draft Voter Identification (Amendment of List of Specified Documents) (Local Elections) (Northern Ireland) Order 2026 Resolved, That the Committee has considered the draft Voter Identification (Amendment of List of Specified Documents) (Local Elections) (Northern Ireland) Order 2026.—(Sarah Owen.) Draft Local Elections (Northern Ireland) (Uprating Election Expenses) Order 2026 Resolved, That the Committee has considered the draft Local Elections (Northern Ireland) (Uprating Election Expenses) Order 2026.—(Sarah Owen.)
Ministers and officials are in regular contact with the Department for Transport on dual approvals for passenger vehicles and Northern Ireland’s automotive sector. The Government remain committed to ensuring that vehicle supply remains as seamless as possible across the whole of the UK. This was shown when the Government secured fairness on the tax treatment of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, supporting dealerships and car buyers.
We are continuing to engage with Northern Ireland car market representatives, as well as the broader UK automotive industry, on issues faced by Northern Ireland car dealers. We want to see the sector go from strength to strength, and I am happy to meet with anybody who shares that mission. I also want to address the fact that the hon. Gentleman has raised the lack of response to a particular letter from the National Franchised Dealers Association. I will ensure that that is rectified by the end of the week, and it will get a response.
I thank the shadow Secretary of State and the right hon. Members for Belfast East (Gavin Robinson) and for Skipton and Ripon (Sir Julian Smith) for setting out their views on this issue and keeping them brief. I will carry on in that vein by keeping my remarks about the programme motion brief, as I am keen for us to move straight to Committee proceedings. I am sure that right hon. and hon. Members are similarly keen. I want to address some of the points, particularly those about the amendments. We tabled our amendments a week before Committee, in line with the usual practice for Government amendments. The amendments followed significant discussion with many Members and many stakeholder groups over many weeks and months. The shadow Secretary of State mentioned that there are many amendments, but he has to recognise that many of them are technical. Over the course of the two full days, we will be able to scrutinise, debate and consider those amendments in detail before the Bill is sent to the other place, where I have no doubt it will receive significant further scrutiny. The right hon. Member for Skipton and Ripon is absolutely right: the Bill is about victims and we cannot allow those victims to wait any longer for answers. Almost three decades on from the Good Friday agreement, the issue of the legacy of the troubles remains unresolved. After many years of bereaved families having been let down, this may be our last chance to get things right. The Northern Ireland Troubles Bill will deliver on our manifesto commitment to fix the failed systems that the Tories created and ensure that a reformed legacy commission can be the route for families to get the answers that they need and deserve. More than a quarter of a century after the end of the troubles, too many families are still waiting for the truth about what happened to their loved ones. Their grief has been prolonged by uncertainty and unanswered questions. We cannot accept that any longer. It is critical that we move the Bill forward. To that end, I urge all Members to support the motion. I commend it to the House. Question put.
Your problem.
They say that good things come to those who wait. After years of campaigning for new noise limits on fireworks by a number of organisations, from veterans’ charities to animal charities, and even by Deputy Speakers, we should all thank the Government for hearing all our constituents—especially those in Luton North who are kept awake night after night by nuisance fireworks—and for taking action. Will the Leader of the House make time in this Chamber for us to discuss what a difference that action will make to the lives of thousands of residents in all our constituencies?
As this debate is always oversubscribed—a fitting tribute to Sir David that I am sure he would have been proud of—I am going to keep my remarks short. I love Luton. It is my home, and my favourite part of my job is working with our wonderful, diverse, welcoming community. I have been proud to push forward the new play park in Stopsley alongside Sandra and Mike Stratford, Cherry Newbury, and the one and only Karen Cockfield. With spades now in the ground, this Government’s Pride in Place programme is funding a fire engine-themed playground extension for younger children as well. It is a true community campaign—a Labour MP working alongside a Labour council, funded by a Labour Government and powered by local people. In Marsh Farm, local residents will direct £20 million over the next decade through our Pride in Place neighbourhood board, led by our fantastic new chair Jackie Neufville. I visit businesses every week, and do a small business Saturday shout-out every weekend. I see businesses such as Crafty As Fk, run by Claire Lydon; Sensory5, opened by the passionate Kasey Foy; Hina Sohrab providing IT services globally from her home in Luton North; and the amazing Grand Bazar supermarket, which has celebrated its one-year anniversary, an event that I was honoured to mark alongside our Labour mayor Javed Hussain. I love visiting schools. In the past few weeks, I have joined students bricklaying at Stopsley High with their wonderful head Karen Hand, after linking them up with local business Goodman to supply bricks for its courses. I have awarded amazing students at Putteridge High alongside their committed head, David Graham, and I have said goodbye to the truly brilliant Sandra Clarke, who retires from Woodlands High this week. The love, care and community you feel when you walk into that school are amazing. While she will be greatly missed, she deserves a very happy retirement. In Luton North, we have so many great people doing amazing things, whether that is Paul Prior opening up a veterans hub at the Leagrave and Limbury British Legion, Michelle Boldeau running a half marathon—rather her than me—to support the hospital’s charity, or Rose at the Ameina Centre, who welcomed me to meet amazing groups, such as Att10tive and Shanthona Women’s Group. That is not the sum of everything happening in Luton North—and I could go on for 30 minutes, rather than three—but I want to put those achievements on record. We are a strong, united, diverse part of the world, and long may that continue. Just like many others, I wish everybody here a fantastic summer, and I thank those members of the parliamentary staff who are retiring—people like Richard, Margaret and Godfrey. I want to say a massive thank you to them not just for keeping us fed and looked after, but for their continued friendship, especially Godfrey, who has been extremely kind to my little one throughout the years. I want to say a massive thank you to my team. I could not do this without them and they serve the people of Luton North in such a brilliant, committed manner— I could not ask for more.
Before I start, I thank the Minister not only for his statement but for his robust response to the Opposition Front Bench, whose response was appalling. The E1 settlement plan deliberately cuts the west bank in two. The escalating violence and expansion of illegal settlements not only undermine the viability of the Palestinian state but fly in the face of international law. This is not by accident; this is by deliberate design. Will the Minister outline how exactly the Government can guarantee that illegal settler activity is not supported by UK-registered businesses, charities or trade, and how we will hold them to account if they ignore the guidance set out?
Held . Recorded result: Lab Hold. Majority 7,510. 38,745 votes cast from an electorate of 74,866. Parties are as each candidate stood at the time.
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sarah Owen | Labour | 14,677 | 37.9% |
| Jilleane Brown | Conservative | 7,167 | 18.5% |
| James Fletcher | Reform UK | 4,666 | 12.0% |
| Toqueer Shah | Independent | 4,393 | 11.3% |
| Waheed Akbar | Workers Party of Britain | 3,914 | 10.1% |
| Ejel Khan | Green Party | 1,940 | 5.0% |
| Sean Prendergast | Liberal Democrat | 1,890 | 4.9% |
| Paul Trathen | Social Democratic Party | 98 | 0.3% |
| Seat | Dates |
|---|---|
| Luton NorthElected 1 time | – present |
| Luton NorthElected 1 time | – |
| Post | Dates |
|---|---|
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)Northern Ireland Office | – present |
| Post | Dates |
|---|---|
| Shadow Minister (Levelling Up, Housing, Communities and Local Government)Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities | – |
| Opposition Whip (Commons)Whips Office (Commons) | – |
| Committee | Dates |
|---|---|
| Liaison Committee (Commons) | – |
| Women and Equalities CommitteeChair | – |
| Public Accounts Committee | – |
| Media Bill | – |
| Online Safety (Re-committed Clauses and Schedules) Bill | – |
| Social Housing (Regulation) Bill [HL] | – |
| Nuclear Energy (Financing) Bill | – |
| Health and Care Bill | – |
| National Insurance Contributions Bill | – |
| Compensation (London Capital & Finance plc and Fraud Compensation Fund) Bill | – |
| Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee | – |
| Health and Social Care Committee | – |
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