Compare

Melanie Ward vs Michael Shanks

A side-by-side comparison of voting participation, party rebellion, topic focus, and recent voting overlap.

Photograph of Melanie Ward
Melanie Ward
Lab Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy
vs
Photograph of Michael Shanks
Michael Shanks
Lab Rutherglen

Voting alignment

Melanie Ward and Michael Shanks voted the same way 100% of the time, based on 302 shared comparable votes.

302 same votes 0 different votes 302 shared votes

Alignment only includes divisions where both MPs recorded an Aye or No vote. Tellers, absences, abstentions, and missing votes are excluded.

Topic alignment

Closest by topic
43 Aye 33 No
Tax 100% aligned 76 shared votes
43 Aye 33 No
7 Aye 20 No
Defence 100% aligned 27 shared votes
7 Aye 20 No
15 Aye 12 No
Education 100% aligned 27 shared votes
15 Aye 12 No
18 Aye 8 No
Work / Employment 100% aligned 26 shared votes
18 Aye 8 No
12 Aye 12 No
Benefits 100% aligned 24 shared votes
12 Aye 12 No
Most different by topic
43 Aye 33 No
Tax 100% aligned 76 shared votes
43 Aye 33 No
7 Aye 20 No
Defence 100% aligned 27 shared votes
7 Aye 20 No
15 Aye 12 No
Education 100% aligned 27 shared votes
15 Aye 12 No
18 Aye 8 No
Work / Employment 100% aligned 26 shared votes
18 Aye 8 No
12 Aye 12 No
Benefits 100% aligned 24 shared votes
12 Aye 12 No

Topic alignment uses local topic tags, so a division can count towards more than one topic.

Voting record

76.1%
3% above average
Rank 284 of 649
Participation
64.4%
8% below average
Rank 525 of 649
449
590 eligible divisions
Total votes
501
778 eligible divisions
220
49.0% of votes cast
Aye votes
236
47.1% of votes cast
229
51.0% of votes cast
No votes
265
52.9% of votes cast
14
3.1% of votes cast
Against party
5
1.0% of votes cast
2 years, 3 months
Since 4 Jul 2024
Commons service
3 years, 0 months
Since 5 Oct 2023

Debates

68
-15.6 vs Commons average
Rank 328 of 650
Appearances
100
+16.4 vs Commons average
Rank 169 of 650
93
-52.7 vs Commons average
Rank 362 of 650
Contributions
408
+262.3 vs Commons average
Rank 34 of 650

Debate figures cover imported Hansard debate appearances from the last 12 months.

Financials and interests

£195,558
all imported IPSA years
Lifetime expenses
£340,820
all imported IPSA years
£195,558
14% below average
Latest expenses
£272,859
21% above average
5
2 registered categories
Registered interests
4
1 registered category
0
matched sponsored bills
Sponsored bills
0
matched sponsored bills

Expenses use IPSA totals for financial year 2024-25. Sponsored bill counts depend on currently imported bill sponsor metadata.

Most active voting topics

Devolution / Local Government
24 of 24 votes
#1
Trade
13 of 14 votes
Democracy / Parliament
14 of 14 votes
#2
Benefits
27 of 31 votes
Migration
13 of 13 votes
#3
Work / Employment
38 of 45 votes
Foreign Affairs
4 of 4 votes
#4
Defence
28 of 34 votes
Defence
33 of 34 votes
#5
Energy
20 of 26 votes

Recent voting overlap

These MPs agreed on every division where both voted in the current comparison sample.

Where they voted the same
No
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Second Reading 11 Sept 2026
No
Aye
Draft Plant Health, Seeds, Seed Potatoes and Plant Propagating Material (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2026 9 Sept 2026
Aye
No
Health Bill: Report Stage: Amendment 1 8 Sept 2026
No
No
Health Bill: Report Stage: New Clause 143 8 Sept 2026
No
No
Health Bill: Report Stage: New Clause 142 8 Sept 2026
No
No
Health Bill: Report Stage: New Clause 140 8 Sept 2026
No
No
Health Bill: Report Stage: New Clause 145 7 Sept 2026
No
No
Health Bill: Report Stage: New Clause 6 7 Sept 2026
No
Aye
Representation of the People Bill: Third Reading 2 Sept 2026
Democracy / Parliament
Aye
No
Representation of the People Bill: Report Stage: New Clause 88 2 Sept 2026
Democracy / Parliament
No
Member source UK Parliament Members API
Voting source Commons Votes API