About your Member of Parliament

Your MP (Simon Lightwood) represents you, and all of the people who live in Wakefield and Rothwell, at the UK Parliament in Westminster.

MPs split their time between Parliament and their constituency. In Parliament, they debate and vote on new laws, review existing laws, and question the Government. In the constituency, their focus is on supporting local people and championing local issues. They have a small staff team who help with casework, maintain their diaries, and monitor their inbox.

What you can do

• Find out more about your MP, including their voting summary, register of interests and recent speeches.
• Write to your MP, or find out about your other local representatives on WriteToThem.com.
• Find out more about Wakefield and Rothwell on the Local Intelligence Hub.

Profile

Labour/Co-operative MP for Wakefield and Rothwell

Entered the House of Commons on 24 June 2022 — Byelection

Party was Labour until 30 May 2024

Also represented Wakefield

Social Media

• @simonlightwood.org.uk
• UK Parliament Profile

Expenses

• Expenses from 2010 onwards

Topics of interest

• Department for Transport
• Department of Health and Social Care
• Home Office
• Department for Work and Pensions
• Department for Business
• Energy and Industrial Strategy
• Buses: Exhaust Emissions
• Social Security Benefits: Disqualification
• HIV Infection: Health Services
• State Retirement Pensions: Fraud
• Buses: Carbon Emissions

Currently held offices

• Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport) (since 9 Jul 2024)

Other offices held in the past

• Member, Automated Vehicles Bill [HL] Committee (13 Mar 2024 to 19 Mar 2024)
• Member, Seafarers' Wages Bill [HL] Committee (11 Jan 2023 to 17 Jan 2023)
• Shadow Minister (Transport) (27 Sep 2022 to 30 May 2024)

Public bill committees (Sittings attended)

• Automated Vehicles Bill Committee (2 out of 2)
• Seafarers’ Wages Bill Committee (2 out of 2)

Recent appearances

• Written Answers — Department for Transport: Public Transport: Care Leavers 17 Jun 2025

  This government recognises the importance of supporting care leavers and is keeping public transport accessible and affordable for them with the £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London and investment of over £1 billion to improve bus service reliability and frequency. Care leavers can also access the 16-25 Railcard, which provides 1/3 off the cost of rail travel for young...

• Written Answers — Department for Transport: East West Rail Line: Construction 17 Jun 2025

  There have been no formal representations from the Welsh Government on this matter. The UK Government is responsible for heavy rail infrastructure across England and Wales so spends money on this in Wales rather than funding the Welsh Government to do so through the Barnett formula. This approach applies to investment in heavy rail by the Department for Transport, including HS2 and East-West...

• Written Answers — Department for Transport: East West Rail Line: Finance 17 Jun 2025

  The East-West rail project is classified as an England and Wales project. This approach applies to investment in heavy rail by the Department for Transport, including HS2 and East-West Rail, and is consistent with the funding arrangements for all other policy areas reserved in Wales as set out in the Statement of Funding Policy.

More of Simon Lightwood’s recent appearances

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