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Bob Russell
Liberal Democrat MP for Colchester

    • Entered Parliament on 1 May 1997 — General election

    Voting record (from PublicWhip)

    How Bob Russell voted on key issues since 2001:

    • Voted very strongly for removing hereditary peers from the House of Lords. votes
    • Voted moderately for a wholly elected House of Lords. votes
    • Voted very strongly against allowing ministers to intervene in inquests. votes
    • Voted moderately against a more proportional system for electing MPs. votes
    • Voted very strongly for automatic enrolment in occupational pensions. votes
    • Voted very strongly for encouraging occupational pensions. votes
    • Voted very strongly against the Iraq war. votes
    • Voted very strongly for an investigation into the Iraq war. votes
    • Voted moderately for equal gay rights. votes
    • Voted moderately against replacing Trident. votes
    • Voted moderately for more EU integration. votes
    • Voted very strongly against introducing ID cards. votes
    • Voted very strongly against university tuition fees. votes
    • Voted against raising England’s undergraduate tuition fee cap to £9,000 per year. votes
    • Voted very strongly for a smoking ban. votes
    • Voted very strongly against Labour's anti-terrorism laws. votes
    • Voted very strongly for the hunting ban. votes
    • Voted strongly against a stricter asylum system. votes
    • Voted a mixture of for and against greater autonomy for schools. votes
    • Voted moderately for a transparent Parliament. votes
    • Voted very strongly for laws to stop climate change. votes
    • Voted very strongly against introducing foundation hospitals. votes
    • Voted moderately for increasing the rate of VAT. votes

    Read about how the voting record is decided.

    More on well-known issues (from the Guardian) & their full record

    Topics of interest

    Asks most questions about

    • Departments: Defence, Health, Home Department, Transport, Culture Media and Sport

    • Subjects (based on headings added by Hansard): Ministerial Travel, Armed Forces: Housing, Colchester Garrison, Official Spelling, Volunteers

    (based on written questions asked by Bob Russell and answered by departments)

    Public Bill Committees (sittings attended)

    RSS feed Most recent appearances

    Oral Answers to Questions — Work and Pensions: Credit Unions (20 May 2013)

    “What steps he is taking to support credit unions.”

    Oral Answers to Questions — Work and Pensions: Credit Unions (20 May 2013)

    “I thank my right hon. Friend for that helpful answer. I know that he would like to praise the volunteers at Colchester credit union for all they do. Will he discuss with his ministerial colleagues in the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Department for Education the importance of encouraging all of us, particularly children, to undertake regular saving?”

    Written Answers — Defence: Afghanistan (20 May 2013)

    “To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of the Ministry of Defence personnel who will be deployed to the Afghan National Army Officer Academy to provide training and related support will be female; and if he will make a statement.”

    More of Bob Russell's recent appearances

    Numerology

    Please note that numbers do not measure quality. Also, representatives may do other things not currently covered by this site. (More about this)

    • Has spoken in 82 debates in the last year — well above average amongst MPs.
    • Has received answers to 176 written questions in the last year — well above average amongst MPs.
    • Replied within 2 or 3 weeks to a high number of messages sent via WriteToThem.com during 2008, according to constituents.
    • Has voted in 85.05% of votes in this Parliament with this affiliation — well above average amongst MPs. (From Public Whip)
    • People have made 20 annotations on this MP’s speeches — well above average amongst MPs.
    • This MP's speeches, in Hansard, are readable by an average 17–18 year old, going by the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level score.
    • 138 people are tracking this MP — email me updates on Bob Russell’s activity.
    • Has used three-word alliterative phrases (e.g. "she sells seashells") 399 times in debates — above average amongst MPs. (Why is this here?)

    Register of Members’ Interests

    6. Overseas visits
    Name of donor: Australian Government
    Address of donor: Australia House, the Strand, London WC2B 4LA
    Amount of donation (or estimate of the probable value): approx £5,222
    Destination of visit: Australia
    Date of visit: 17-30 June 2012
    Purpose of visit: at the invitation of the Australian Ministry of Defence as part of a cross-party delegation to visit defence establishments and to meet with Ministers, defence personnel and contractors. (Registered 16 July 2012)

    Register last updated: 7 May 2013. More about the Register

    View the history of this MP's entries in the Register

    Expenses

    Figures in brackets are ranks.Data from parliament.uk (source). Read 2004/05 – 2008/09 and 1st quarter 2009/10 receipts.

    Type2008/09 (ranking out of 647)2007/08 (ranking out of 645)2006/07 (ranking out of 645)2005/062004/05 (ranking out of 659)2003/04 (ranking out of 658)2002/03 (ranking out of 657)2001/02 (ranking out of 657)
    Staying away from main home£5,082 (561st) £10,963 (547th) £11,555 (544th) £8,898 £12,683 (535th) £13,245 (515th) £11,176 (578th) £7,311 (594th)
    London costs£0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
    Office running costs£27,769 (22nd) £20,737 (198th) £20,439 (297th) £20,860 £18,753 (282nd) £18,799 (joint 13th with 178 others) £18,234 (joint 1st with 183 others) £16,288 (292nd)
    Staffing costs£94,054 (359th) £91,105 (148th) £87,276 (joint 156th with 7 others) £83,221 £68,968 (415th) £66,047 (417th) £61,980 (joint 397th with 36 others) £43,645 (420th)
    Communications Allowance£10,892 (136th) £10,000 (joint 130th with 10 others) N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
    Members' Travel£4,528 (471st)1 £5,293 (450th)2 £5,488 (439th)3 £3,632 £5,151 (532nd) £5,131 (515th) £4,329 (552nd) £3,625 (534th)
    Members' Staff Travel£882 (87th) £707 (joint 147th with 2 others) £820 (153rd) £876 £1,160 (158th) £390 (joint 294th with 1 other) £418 (283rd) £365 (291st)
    Members' Spouse Travel£366 (227th) £156 (306th) N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
    Members' Family Travel£0 £0 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
    Centrally Purchased Stationery£4,985 (186th) £1,030 (joint 210th with 1 other) £2,195 (83rd) £1,759 £1,519 (170th) £1,223 (178th) £960 (joint 355th with 2 others) £1,247 (245th)
    Stationery: Associated Postage Costs£3,032 (234th) £7,270 (74th) £4,635 £3,797 (200th) £3,704 (189th) N/A N/A
    Centrally Provided Computer Equipment  £1,350 (joint 109th with 4 others) £1,142 (joint 175th with 17 others) £962 £1,908 (joint 282nd with 3 others) £1,908 (joint 278th with 3 others) £1,908 (joint 275th with 3 others) £1,908 (joint 258th with 3 others)
    Other Costs£412 (87th) £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
    Total£148,968 (340th) £144,373 (359th) £136,185 (356th) £124,843 £113,939 (504th) £110,447 (504th) £99,005 (556th) £74,389 (554th)

    1 Regular journeys between home/constituency/Westminster: Mileage £1,552 (428th). Rail £2,724 (300th). Other: Mileage £252 (28th).

    2 Regular journeys between home/constituency/Westminster: Mileage £2,309 (364th). Rail £2,209 (341st). Other: Mileage £330 (21st). Rail £445 (49th).

    3 Car £2,089 (414th). Rail £3,199 (254th). European £200 (120th).