Official portrait of Sir John Whittingdale

Sir John Whittingdale

Conservative MP for Maldon, since 9 April 1992

The Rt Hon Sir John Whittingdale is the Conservative MP for Maldon, and has been an MP continually since 9 April 1992.

Scorecard

59.7% Attendance Below the median of MPs who vote
342 Votes cast out of 575 divisions, plus 1 as teller
232 No vote recorded absent, abstaining, paired or unable to attend
0 Against their own party divisions where they voted the other way to most Conservative MPs
10 Interests declared 2 at £5,000 or more
679 Debates spoken in 85 written questions tabled

Ranked 515 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
2 Dec 2025 Budget Resolution No. 51: Inheritance tax (pension interests) No vote 364–167
2 Dec 2025 Budget Resolution No. 50: Inheritance tax (limiting agricultural and business property reliefs etc) No vote 327–182
2 Dec 2025 Budget Resolution No. 28: Capital gains tax (employee-ownership trusts) No vote 362–164
2 Dec 2025 Budget Resolution No. 9: Basic rate limit and personal allowance for tax years 2028-29 to 2030-31 No vote 348–176
2 Dec 2025 Budget Resolution No. 5: Income tax (savings rate for future years) No vote 369–166
2 Dec 2025 Budget Resolution No. 4: Income tax (dividend rates) No vote 371–166
25 Nov 2025 English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill: Third Reading No 322–179
25 Nov 2025 English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill Report Stage: New Clause 80 Aye 187–320
25 Nov 2025 English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill Report Stage: New Clause 69 Aye 189–320
25 Nov 2025 English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill Report Stage: New Clause 17 No vote 87–321
24 Nov 2025 English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill Report Stage: Amendment 25 Aye 99–367
24 Nov 2025 English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill Report Stage: Amendment 85 No vote 57–309
24 Nov 2025 English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill Report Stage: New Clause 29 No vote 74–311
24 Nov 2025 English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill Report Stage: New Clause 2 Aye 158–318
19 Nov 2025 Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 37 No vote 326–92
19 Nov 2025 Draft Radio Equipment (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2025 deferred division No vote 376–16
18 Nov 2025 Northern Ireland Troubles Bill: Second Reading No vote 320–105
18 Nov 2025 Northern Ireland Troubles Bill: Opposition Reasoned Amendment No vote 165–327
17 Nov 2025 Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill: Committee: Amendment 5 No vote 147–318
17 Nov 2025 Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill: Committee: Amendment 4 No vote 143–318
13 Nov 2025 Planning and Infrastructure Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 40 No 244–132
13 Nov 2025 Planning and Infrastructure Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 39 No 250–133
13 Nov 2025 Planning and Infrastructure Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 38 No 252–130
13 Nov 2025 Planning and Infrastructure Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 37 No 254–129
13 Nov 2025 Planning and Infrastructure Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 33 No 257–128

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.

3. Gifts, benefits and hospitality from UK sources

Name of donor: Betting & Gaming Council
Address of donor: Kings Building, 16 Smith Square, London SW1P 3HQ
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: Two tickets and hospitality at Ascot Races, value £1,920
Date received: 18 June 2026
Date accepted: 18 June 2026
Donor status: company, registration 12213577
(Registered 2 July 2026)

On the register since 14 Jul 2026

Name of donor: NBC Universal International
Address of donor: Central Saint Giles, St Giles High Street, London WC2H 8NU
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: Two tickets with hospitality to the EE BAFTA Film Awards, value £4,400
Date received: 22 February 2026 to 22 February 2026
Date accepted: 22 February 2026
Donor status: company, registration 04415234
(Registered 3 March 2026)

On the register since 10 Mar 2026

Name of donor: BPI (British Recorded Music) Ltd
Address of donor: Unit 4/4a, Tileyard Studios, Tileyard Road, London N7 9AH
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: Two tickets with hospitality to the BRIT Awards at Manchester Co-Op Live, value £3,430
Date received: 28 February 2026 to 28 February 2026
Date accepted: 28 February 2026
Donor status: company, registration 01132389
(Registered 4 March 2026)

On the register since 10 Mar 2026

4. Visits outside the UK

£6,421

Name of donor: Great Britain China Centre
Address of donor: Kings Building, 16 Smith Square, London SW1P 3HQ
Estimate of the probable value (or amount of any donation): Flights, accommodation and hospitality, value £6,421
Destination of visit: China (Yangzhou, Ninjang and Beijing)
Dates of visit: 24 May 2026 to 29 May 2026
Purpose of visit: To attend the 14th UK-China Senior Leadership Forum in Yangzhou and to meet members of the National People's Congress and Chinese Government.
(Registered 9 June 2026)

On the register since 16 Jun 2026

£6,155

Name of donor: Doha Forum
Address of donor: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Almirqab Tower, West Bay, Doha Qatar
Estimate of the probable value (or amount of any donation): Flights (£5,555), accommodation and hospitality (£600), value £6,155
Destination of visit: Qatar (Doha)
Dates of visit: 5 December 2025 to 8 December 2025
Purpose of visit: To participate in the Doha Forum 2025 on diplomacy and dialogue including meetings with Qatari Ministers, and Ministers and Parliamentarians of other participating countries, in my capacity as a Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
(Registered 18 December 2025)

On the register since 6 Jan 2026

5. Gifts and benefits from sources outside the UK

Name of donor: Embassy of the State of Qatar
Address of donor: 1 South Audley Street London W1K 1NB
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: Two tickets to the Qatar Goodwood Festival 2025 and to the Goodwood Regency Ball including hospitality and accommodation for one night, value £1,200
Date received: 31 July 2025
Date accepted: 31 July 2025
Donor status: other
(Registered 5 August 2025)

On the register since 2 Sep 2025

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

Type of land/property: Residential property (flat)
Number of properties: 1
Location: London
Rental income: Yes
(Registered 8 October 2012)

On the register since 18 Apr 2024

8. Miscellaneous

A Member of the Executive Committee of the British Group of the Inter Parliamentary Union. This is an unpaid position.
Date interest arose: 27 November 2025
(Registered 29 November 2025)

On the register since 2 Dec 2025

Member of the Board of the Conservative Party. This is an unpaid position.
Date interest arose: 18 July 2024
(Registered 29 November 2025)

On the register since 2 Dec 2025

10. Family members engaged in lobbying the public sector on behalf of a third party or client

Name: Alice Whittingdale
Relationship: Daughter
Role: Senior Consultant
Name of employer: Hanover Communications
(Registered 7 August 2023)

On the register since 18 Apr 2024

The same register on parliament.uk →

Debates

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

Money declared to them

2 donations accepted personally since 4 Jul 2024, worth £12,576 in total — from the Electoral Commission's register, which is a separate register from the one above. Money given to their party is not counted here; this is money declared to them.

AcceptedRecipientDonorTypeValue
24 May 2026 Mr John Whittingdale MP sitting MP Great Britain China Centre Other Visit £6,421
5 Dec 2025 Mr John Whittingdale MP sitting MP Doha Forum Other Visit £6,155

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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