Just how hard do Merseyside and Cheshire MPs work?

by Ben Schofield, Liverpool Daily Post
May 5 2009

In the wake of the scandals over MPs’ expenses, Ben Schofield asks what do our Westminster representatives do all day – and why?

ANGELA EAGLE, MP for Wallasey, and St Helens North’s Dave Watts certainly deserve As for effort – though some may say they are simply doing their jobs, both as Parliamentarians and members of the Government.

Dave Watts is a Labour Whip and Ms Eagle is a minister in the Treasury. If they did not vote, it would be very odd indeed.

But Ms Eagle is nonetheless proud of her record. She said: “It’s part of the job. I take my Parliamentary duties seriously. I enjoy voting in the House of Commons – I always have done.”

The bottom three, on the other hand, have each turned out for slightly more than just half the votes this Parliament. While that may appear to suggest these three are fulfilling less than their duties, each of them also appears to have viable excuses keeping them away from the House – Shaun Woodward, for example, is Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Eddie O’Hara said his work as a delegate for the Council of Europe and the Western European Union means he is often away.

He continued: “What happens then is I get a leave of absence from the Whips. Whenever I’m not voting in the House, without exception it’s because I’ve got a leave of absence.”

Meanwhile, Claire Curtis-Thomas said she is kept busy with her work as a member of the population and migration committee of the Council of Europe and sitting on the Western Strategic Defence Assembly.

She said: “That means I’m away a lot, but that doesn’t mean I don’t scrutinise the Government in my absence.”

Fourth from bottom is Bob Wareing, who has also voted in less than 60% of divisions overall. But his voting records before and after being deselected (see Table Two) are vastly different. Prior to September, 2007, it was around 82% and since then it has since plummeted to 32.1%. Mr Wareing has voted in just 146 of the 455 divisions since his fall-out with Labour. This does not necessarily mean he is not turning up to the House, though. Currently there is no way of recording an abstention to distinguish it from an absence. Mr Wareing may be abstaining, rather than choosing to vote with either Labour or the Tories.