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Compare

Sir Oliver Dowden vs Melanie Ward

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

Photograph of Sir Oliver Dowden
Sir Oliver Dowden
Con Hertsmere
vs
Photograph of Melanie Ward
Melanie Ward
Lab Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy

Voting alignment

Sir Oliver Dowden and Melanie Ward voted the same way 1% of the time, based on 302 shared comparable votes.

4 same votes 298 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
6 Aye 7 No
Benefits 15% aligned 13 shared votes
5 Aye 8 No
11 Aye 17 No
Crime / Justice 4% aligned 28 shared votes
16 Aye 12 No
30 Aye 41 No
Tax 0% aligned 71 shared votes
41 Aye 30 No
13 Aye 13 No
Education 0% aligned 26 shared votes
13 Aye 13 No
7 Aye 19 No
Work / Employment 0% aligned 26 shared votes
19 Aye 7 No
Most different by topic
30 Aye 41 No
Tax 0% aligned 71 shared votes
41 Aye 30 No
13 Aye 13 No
Education 0% aligned 26 shared votes
13 Aye 13 No
7 Aye 19 No
Work / Employment 0% aligned 26 shared votes
19 Aye 7 No
16 Aye 9 No
Defence 0% aligned 25 shared votes
9 Aye 16 No
5 Aye 16 No
Devolution / Local Government 0% aligned 21 shared votes
16 Aye 5 No

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

Voting record

70.5 %
2 % below average
Rank 417 of 649
Participation
75.8 %
3 % above average
Rank 295 of 649
1,665
2,361 eligible divisions
Total votes
436
575 eligible divisions
772
46.4 % of votes cast
Aye votes
218
50.0 % of votes cast
893
53.6 % of votes cast
No votes
218
50.0 % of votes cast
10
0.6 % of votes cast
Against party
12
2.8 % of votes cast
11 years, 3 months
Since 7 May 2015
Commons service
2 years, 1 months
Since 4 Jul 2024

Debates

56
-21.9 vs Commons average
Rank 387 of 650
Appearances
71
-6.9 vs Commons average
Rank 289 of 650
66
-72.3 vs Commons average
Rank 436 of 650
Contributions
94
-44.3 vs Commons average
Rank 335 of 650

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

Financials and interests

£1,614,938
all imported IPSA years
Lifetime expenses
£195,558
all imported IPSA years
£226,269
same as average
Latest expenses
£195,558
14 % below average
17
5 registered categories
Registered interests
6
2 registered categories
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

Brexit / EU
197 of 211 votes
#1
Devolution / Local Government
24 of 24 votes
Foreign Affairs
63 of 69 votes
#2
Migration
13 of 13 votes
Environment / Climate
43 of 48 votes
#3
Democracy / Parliament
10 of 10 votes
Transport
77 of 95 votes
#4
Foreign Affairs
4 of 4 votes
Defence
54 of 71 votes
#5
Defence
33 of 34 votes

Recent voting overlap

Where they voted differently
No
Draft Trade Unions (Permissible Means of Voting) and Employment Rights (Unfair Dismissal) (Amendment) Order 2026 15 Jul 2026
Trade Work / Employment
Aye
No
Draft Code of Practice on Electronic and Workplace Ballots for Statutory Trade Union Ballots 15 Jul 2026
Trade Work / Employment
Aye
Aye
Public Office (Accountability) Bill Report Stage: Amendment 19 14 Jul 2026
No
Aye
Public Office (Accountability) Bill Report Stage: Amendment 199 14 Jul 2026
No
Aye
Immigration and Asylum Bill: Reasoned Amendment to Second Reading 13 Jul 2026
Migration
No
No
National Security (State Threats) Bill: motion to agree to Lords Amendment 1 6 Jul 2026
Defence
Aye
No
Draft Climate Change Act 2008 (Credit Limit) Order 2026 24 Jun 2026
Environment / Climate
Aye
No
Draft Climate Change Act 2008 (International Aviation and International Shipping) Regulations 2026 24 Jun 2026
Environment / Climate Transport
Aye
No
Draft Carbon Budget Order 2026 24 Jun 2026
Environment / Climate
Aye
No
Customs (Tariff and Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 4) Regulations 2026 24 Jun 2026
Trade
Aye
Where they voted the same
No
King's Speech Motion for an Address: amendment (l) 20 May 2026
No
No
Sentencing Bill Committee: New Clause 30 21 Oct 2025
Crime / Justice
No
No
Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill Committee: New Clause 8 9 Jul 2025
Benefits
No
No
Universal Credit and Personal Independent Payment Bill Committee: Amendment 39 9 Jul 2025
Benefits
No
Member source UK Parliament Members API
Voting source Commons Votes API