Photograph of Hilary Benn

Member of Parliament

Hilary Benn

Profile, voting record, roles, interests, and election information from official Parliament data.

At a glance

10 Jun 1999

Commons start

26 years, 11 months

Time in Commons

77.3 %

Voting participation

+4.0 % vs avg

11,279

Majority

35

Debates (12 months)

271

Contributions

Voting activity (12 months)

Debate activity (12 months)

Contact

Parliamentary office

[email protected] 020 7219 5770

Constituency office

[email protected] 0113 244 1097

X (formerly Twitter)

https://twitter.com/hilarybennmp

Topic voting

Where this MP has been most and least active across locally tagged Commons division topics.

Highest topic participation

Foreign Affairs 68/69 (99 %)
Education 88/95 (93 %)
Migration 151/169 (89 %)
Brexit / EU 183/211 (87 %)
Defence 47/55 (85 %)

Lowest topic participation

Cost of Living 4/10 (40 %)
Tax 220/318 (69 %)
Transport 62/87 (71 %)
Work / Employment 54/75 (72 %)

Party history

Labour 10 Jun 1999 to present

Constituency

Constituency history

Leeds South 4 Jul 2024 to present Elected 1 time
Leeds Central 6 May 2010 to 30 May 2024 Elected 4 times
Leeds Central 10 Jun 1999 to 6 May 2010 Elected 3 times

Roles

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 5 Jul 2024 to present Northern Ireland Office
Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 4 Sep 2023 to 30 May 2024 Northern Ireland Office
Energy Security and Net Zero Committee 12 Jun 2023 to 20 Nov 2023
Liaison Committee (Commons) 20 May 2020 to 15 Jan 2021
Committee on the Future Relationship with the European Union 27 Jan 2020 to 16 Jan 2021 Chair
Liaison Committee Sub-committee on the effectiveness and influence of the select committee system 13 Feb 2019 to 6 Nov 2019
Liaison Committee (Commons) 6 Nov 2017 to 6 Nov 2019
Committee on the Future Relationship with the European Union 12 Jul 2017 to 6 Nov 2019 Chair

Latest election result

Candidate result data from the Parliament Members API.

Lab Hold Leeds South Turnout 31,678
Candidate Party Votes Share
Hilary Benn Lab Labour 17,117 54.0 %
Ed Carlisle Green Green Party 5,838 18.4 %
Karen Cooksley Con Conservative 4,172 13.2 %
Daniel Whetstone SDP Social Democratic Party 1,874 5.9 %
George Sykes LD Liberal Democrat 1,340 4.2 %
Muhammad Azeem WPB Workers Party of Britain 719 2.3 %
Janet Bickerdike Christian Peoples Alliance 341 1.1 %
Niko Omilana Ind Independent 277 0.9 %

Source: UK Parliament Members API

Voting record

Commons division votes from the official Commons Votes API.

Voted in 1,780 of 2,302 eligible divisions (77.3 %). Commons average: 73.3 %.

1780

Total votes

1019

Aye

761

No

1

Against party

Aye / No split Ayes 1,019 / Noes 761

Divisions

Page 5 of 119
Division Vote
National Insurance Contributions (Employer Pensions Contributions) Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 3
Tax
Aye
National Insurance Contributions (Employer Pensions Contributions) Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 2
Tax
Aye
National Insurance Contributions (Employer Pensions Contributions) Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 1
Tax
Aye
Courts and Tribunals Bill: Second Reading Aye
Courts and Tribunals Bill: Reasoned Amendment to Second Reading No
Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 106 Aye
Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 102 Aye
Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 44 Aye
Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 41 Aye
Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 38 Aye
Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 37 Aye
Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 17 Aye
Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 16 Aye
Representation of the People Bill: Reasoned Amendment to Second Reading No
Opposition Day: Protections for children from online harms No

Source: Commons Votes API

Debate activity

Parliamentary debate appearances from Hansard. Contribution counts cover the last 12 months.

9

Speeches

0

Questions

1

Interventions

254

Answers

1

Points of order

6

Statements

Most active debate topics

Foreign Affairs 12 appearances
Trade 3 appearances
Defence 2 appearances
Transport 2 appearances
Crime / Justice 1 appearances

Recent appearances

Debate Contributions
Supreme Court Dillon Judgment 14 May 2026 11
Dunmurry Police Station Attack 27 Apr 2026 18
Northern Ireland Troubles Bill (Carry-over) 27 Apr 2026 2
Good Friday Agreement 25 Mar 2026 7
Spring Forecast 25 Mar 2026 6
Northern Ireland Troubles: Legacy and Reconciliation 25 Mar 2026 10
Northern Ireland: Legacy of the Past 19 Mar 2026 1
Autumn Budget 2025 11 Feb 2026 4
Economic Impact of Government Policies 11 Feb 2026 6
Troubles-era Violence: IRA Accountability 11 Feb 2026 3

Source: UK Parliament Hansard API

Bills sponsored

Bills where this MP is recorded as primary sponsor in the UK Parliament Bills API.

Bill Divisions
Northern Ireland Troubles Bill Government Bill 3

Source: UK Parliament Bills API

Registered interests

6. Land and property portfolio with a value over £100,000 and where indicated, the portfolio provides a rental income of over £10,000 a year (1)

Type of land/property: Property, other (House and small nature reserve) Number of properties: 1 Location: Essex Ownership details: Part-owner (Updated 24 November 2014)

9. Family members employed and paid from parliamentary expenses (1)

Name: Sally Clark Relationship: Spouse Role: Office Manager Working pattern: Part time Additional information: My spouse, Sally Clark, is also employed as part time Senior Parliamentary Assistant. (Updated 16 April 2019)

Member source UK Parliament Members API
Voting source Commons Votes API
Debate source UK Parliament Hansard API

FAQs

Who is Hilary Benn?

Hilary Benn is a Member of Parliament representing Leeds South. Source

Which party does Hilary Benn represent?

Hilary Benn currently represents Labour. Source

Which constituency does Hilary Benn represent?

Hilary Benn currently represents Leeds South. Source

How long has Hilary Benn been an MP?

Hilary Benn has been in the House of Commons for 26 years, 11 months. Source

How many Commons divisions has Hilary Benn voted in?

Hilary Benn has recorded votes in 1,780 of 2,302 eligible Commons divisions (77.3 % participation rate). The Commons average is 73.3 %. Eligible divisions are those occurring on or after the MP's Commons membership start date. Source

Has Hilary Benn voted against their party?

Hilary Benn has voted against the party majority 1 times in the imported division data. Source

What roles has Hilary Benn held?

Hilary Benn has 21 imported role records. The roles section lists the most recent roles available from the Parliament biography data. Source

What registered interests are listed for Hilary Benn?

Hilary Benn has registered interests in 2 imported categories. These come from the UK Parliament registered interests data. Source

What was Hilary Benn's latest election result?

Hilary Benn's latest imported election result is Lab Hold in Leeds South, with a majority of 11,279. Source

How active is Hilary Benn in parliamentary debates?

Hilary Benn has made 271 contributions across 35 debate appearances in the last 12 months, according to Hansard records. Source