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Official portrait of James MacCleary

James MacCleary

Liberal Democrat MP for Lewes, since 4 July 2024

Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Defence)

James MacCleary is the Liberal Democrat MP for Lewes, and has been an MP continually since 4 July 2024. He currently undertakes the role of Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Defence).

Contact them on the parliamentary site →

Scorecard

61.0% Attendance Below the median of MPs who vote
351 Votes cast out of 575 divisions
224 No vote recorded absent, abstaining, paired or unable to attend
1 Against their own party divisions where they voted the other way to most Liberal Democrat MPs
7 Interests declared none at £5,000 or more
126 Debates spoken in 565 written questions tabled

Ranked 495 of 638 MPs for attendance. The median of MPs who vote is 72.3%. Ministers and front-benchers vote less often than backbenchers for reasons of office rather than absenteeism, and Parliament does not publish reasons for any absence — the ranking is a starting point for a question, not an answer to one.

Voting record

575 divisions since they took their seat, newest first.

DateQuestionTheir voteResult
13 Nov 2025 Planning and Infrastructure Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 32 No vote 268–78
13 Nov 2025 Planning and Infrastructure Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 3 No vote 255–128
13 Nov 2025 Planning and Infrastructure Bill: Government amendment (a) to Lords Amendment 2 No 264–125
13 Nov 2025 Planning and Infrastructure Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 1 No 254–135
12 Nov 2025 Opposition Day: Energy: original words stand part No vote 97–336
12 Nov 2025 Opposition Day: Taxes No vote 101–316
5 Nov 2025 Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 43 No 268–80
5 Nov 2025 Employment Rights Bill: Government amendment (a) in lieu of LA62 No 311–152
5 Nov 2025 Employment Rights Bill: motion relating to Lords Reason 72B No 312–151
5 Nov 2025 Employment Rights Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 48B No 310–150
5 Nov 2025 Employment Rights Bill: motion relating to Lords Reason 120B No 308–153
5 Nov 2025 Employment Rights Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 1B No 310–155
4 Nov 2025 Opposition day: Welfare spending No vote 92–403
4 Nov 2025 Opposition day: Supporting high streets No vote 106–321
29 Oct 2025 Sentencing Bill: Third Reading No vote 321–103
29 Oct 2025 Sentencing Bill Report Stage: New Clause 20 No vote 182–311
29 Oct 2025 Sentencing Bill Report Stage: New Clause 19 No vote 173–323
29 Oct 2025 Sentencing Bill Report Stage: New Clause 12 No vote 82–314
29 Oct 2025 Sentencing Bill Report Stage: New Clause 1 No vote 170–328
29 Oct 2025 European Convention on Human Rights (withdrawal): Ten Minute Rule Motion No vote 96–154
28 Oct 2025 Opposition Day: China spying case No vote 174–327
28 Oct 2025 Opposition Day: Stamp Duty Land Tax No vote 103–329
27 Oct 2025 Victims and Courts Bill Report Stage: Amendment 5 No vote 153–332
27 Oct 2025 Victims and Courts Bill Report Stage: New Clause 12 No vote 166–322
27 Oct 2025 Victims and Courts Bill Report Stage: New Clause 7 No vote 165–323

Declared financial interests

Quoted in full from the Register of Members' Financial Interests. Entries where the largest figure is £5,000 or more are marked. A declaration is not a wrongdoing — the register exists precisely so that these things are visible.

1. Employment and earnings

Role, work or services: Councillor
Until: 7 May 2026.
Payer: East Sussex County Council, County Hall, Lewes BN7 1UE
(Registered 1 August 2024; updated 20 September 2025 and 19 May 2026)

On the register since 3 Jun 2026

Remuneration: £719.50 a month
Until: 7 May 2026.
Hours: 30 hrs a month Estimated depending on meetings and casework
(Registered 1 August 2024; updated 20 September 2025 and 19 May 2026)

On the register since 3 Jun 2026

Role, work or services: District Councillor
Until: 7 May 2026.
Payer: Lewes District Council, 6 High Street, Lewes, BN7 2AD
(Registered 1 August 2024; updated 5 May 2026 and 19 May 2026)

On the register since 3 Jun 2026

Remuneration: £416.83 a month
From: 2 May 2023. Until: 7 May 2026.
Hours: 20 hrs a month Hours worked is an estimate
(Registered 1 August 2024; updated 5 May 2026)

On the register since 19 May 2026

3. Gifts, benefits and hospitality from UK sources

Name of donor: National Liberal Club Ltd
Address of donor: 1 Whitehall Place, London SW1A 2HE
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: Honorary membership until the end of 2025, as a new Liberal Democrat MP, value £1,578.50
Date received: 2 September 2024 to 31 December 2025
Date accepted: 2 September 2024
Donor status: company, registration 01355034
(Registered 13 October 2024)

On the register since 9 Feb 2026

4. Visits outside the UK

Name of donor: Konrad Adenauer Stiftung
Address of donor: 63 Eccleston Square, London SW1V 1PH
Estimate of the probable value (or amount of any donation): Flights, accommodation and transfers, value £889.45
Destination of visit: Italy
Dates of visit: 24 October 2025 to 26 October 2025
Purpose of visit: To attend the Economic and Finance Conference by invitation
(Registered 16 December 2025)

On the register since 6 Jan 2026

8. Miscellaneous

Director of Newhaven Fishing Community Interest Company. This is an unpaid role.
Date interest arose: 1 September 2024
(Registered 3 October 2024)

On the register since 9 Feb 2026

The same register on parliament.uk →

Debates

126 debates contributed to in total. The ten most recent:

Money declared to them

No donations to this member appear on the Electoral Commission's register for this Parliament. Only donations above the statutory thresholds have to be declared, and the match is made on name — search the register directly if you are checking a specific one.

Where the public money goes — contracts and donations →

Sources: Commons Votes API, Members API and the Register of Members' Financial Interests, all published by Parliament under the Open Parliament Licence; donations from the Electoral Commission's register. This member's register and debate record were last refreshed 3 Aug 2026. How every figure is worked out →

Machine-readable: JSON for this MP.

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