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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
18 Mar 2026 Draft Employment Rights Act 2025 (Investigatory Powers) (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2026 deferred division Aye 368–107
11 Mar 2026 Finance (No. 2) Bill: Third Reading No vote 292–161
11 Mar 2026 Finance (No. 2) Bill Report Stage: Amendment 6 No vote 175–292
11 Mar 2026 Finance (No. 2) Bill Report Stage: Amendment 5 No vote 172–283
11 Mar 2026 Finance (No. 2) Bill Report Stage: New Clause 11 No vote 174–292
10 Mar 2026 Courts and Tribunals Bill: Second Reading No 304–203
10 Mar 2026 Courts and Tribunals Bill: Reasoned Amendment to Second Reading Aye 203–311
9 Mar 2026 Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 106 No 304–177
9 Mar 2026 Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 102 No 315–163
9 Mar 2026 Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 44 No vote 315–109
9 Mar 2026 Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 41 No 316–171
9 Mar 2026 Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 38 No 307–173
9 Mar 2026 Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 37 No vote 321–106
9 Mar 2026 Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 17 No 306–182
9 Mar 2026 Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 16 No 309–181
2 Mar 2026 Representation of the People Bill: Reasoned Amendment to Second Reading No 105–410
24 Feb 2026 Opposition Day: Protections for children from online harms Aye 69–279
23 Feb 2026 Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill: Third Reading Aye 361–84
23 Feb 2026 Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill Committee: New Clause 3 Aye 73–256
23 Feb 2026 Industry and Exports (Financial Assistance) Bill Committee: New Clause 3 Aye 77–280
23 Feb 2026 Industry and Exports (Financial Assistance) Bill Committee: New Clause 2 No vote 156–273
23 Feb 2026 Industry and Exports (Financial Assistance) Bill Committee: Amendment 1 No vote 161–272
11 Feb 2026 Referendums Relating to Council Tax Increases (Principles) (England) Report 2026-27 No vote 279–90
11 Feb 2026 Local Government Finance Report (England) 2026-27 No 277–143
11 Feb 2026 Draft Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) (Extension to Maritime Activities) Order 2026 deferred division Aye 362–107

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:

Sources: Commons Votes API, Members API and the Register of Members' Financial Interests, all published by Parliament under the Open Parliament Licence. 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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