Member of Parliament
Sir Edward Leigh
Conservative MP for Gainsborough
Father of the House of Commons
At a glanceSir Edward Leigh is a Conservative MP for Gainsborough, and has represented the seat for 43 years, 1 month. They currently serve as Father of the House of Commons. They have cast 357 votes in Commons divisions (62% attendance), tabled 333 written questions and registered 3 financial interests.
Attendance is votes cast as a share of the 575 Commons divisions since the 2024 election; Sir Edward Leigh did not vote in 213. A rebellion is a vote against the way most of their own party voted; free votes, where no party line applies, are left out.
Party-loyalty figures are our own analysis of the official voting records (recorded votes only; they do not describe the formal whip). How we work this out.
Biography
He is Father of the House of Commons.
Current roles
- Panel of Chairs Committee since 30 Jul 2024
- Father of the House of Commons Other post since 4 Jul 2024
- Gainsborough Representation · Elected 1 time since 4 Jul 2024
- Conservative Party since 9 Jun 1983
Voting record
Voting alignment
Votes most like
-
Bradley Thomas
Conservative
100.0% · 349 of 349 shared votes
-
Greg Smith
Conservative
100.0% · 341 of 341 shared votes
-
Rebecca Harris
Conservative
100.0% · 339 of 339 shared votes
-
Damian Hinds
Conservative
100.0% · 339 of 339 shared votes
-
Dr Neil Hudson
Conservative
100.0% · 332 of 332 shared votes
Votes least like
-
Michael Payne
Labour
0.7% · 2 of 297 shared votes
-
Kerry McCarthy
Labour
1.0% · 3 of 308 shared votes
-
Gen Kitchen
Labour
1.0% · 3 of 291 shared votes
-
Emily Thornberry
Labour
1.0% · 2 of 191 shared votes
-
Bambos Charalambous
Labour
1.1% · 3 of 268 shared votes
Alignment figures are our own analysis of the official voting records (recorded votes only; they do not describe the formal whip). How we work this out.
Register of financial interests
From the official Register; shown as registered.
Visits outside the UK1
- International visit to Italy between 05 October 2025 and 08 October 2025 (registered 3 Nov 2025)
Miscellaneous1
- Barrister, not currently practising. (registered 22 May 2015)
Family members employed1
- Mary Leigh employed
Written questions
United Kingdom: Wales
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to strengthen Wales’ place in the Union.
Answer · 17 Jun 2026
Wales benefits from being a part of the United Kingdom and the UK is stronger for having Wales in it.We will do whatever it takes to strengthen the union by focusing on our economic, national, and energy security. This is a UK Government that is fully foc...
Gaza: Armed Conflict
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps she is taking to support the humanitarian aspects of the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict.
Answer · 27 Apr 2026
Under the 20-point Gaza Peace Plan, the Government of Israel committed to the full entry of aid without interference. It is unacceptable that over the last 6 weeks, volumes entering Gaza are only 35 per cent of the minimum targets agreed in the Plan.This ...
Defence and National Security: Finance
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of Exchequer on meeting the NATO target of spending five per cent of GDP on defence and national security.
Answer · 23 Mar 2026
The Ministry of Defence remains in close contact with His Majesty's Treasury and No.10 at all levels of the Department on defence spending. This Government has committed to deliver the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War. In ...
Asylum: Crowborough Training Camp
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to establish a community liaison group, to be attended by the Home Office and representatives of residents, including local MPs, councillors, Crowborough Shield & other community org
Answer · 9 Mar 2026
The Home Office has been and continues regular engagement with representatives from the local authority, the NHS, the Police, and local partners, via the Multi Agency Forum and its sub-groups. Regular meetings with the office of the local MP, Parish counc...
Jin Mingri
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Chinese counterparts on the detention of Pastor Jin Mingri; and what diplomatic steps she is taking to help ensure his release.
Answer · 17 Nov 2025
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to question 75048.
Yemen: Christianity
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent diplomatic steps she has taken with international counterparts to help ensure the protection of Christian communities in Yemen.
Answer · 5 Nov 2025
The UK remains committed to freedom of religion or belief for all. We are concerned about the situation facing minority communities in Yemen, including Christians, particularly in areas under Houthi control. Reports indicate that minorities cannot practis...
Eritrea: Christianity
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent diplomatic steps she has taken with her international counterparts to help ensure the protection of Christian communities in Eritrea.
Answer · 4 Nov 2025
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 6 August 2025 to Question 68341.
United Kingdom
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on strengthening the Union.
Answer · 29 Oct 2025
I have regular discussions with the Welsh Government on how our two governments are delivering, investing in Wales’s future and strengthening our union.Through a record budget settlement for the Welsh Government, alongside our investment into Welsh rail, ...
Early day motions
| 24 Mar 2026 | Archbishop Hosam and Gaza | 6 sig. |
| 12 May 2022 | Arrests in Hong Kong | 30 sig. |
| 21 Oct 2020 | Psoriasis Awareness Week 2020 | 17 sig. |
| 11 Dec 2018 | TEMPORARY COMMONS CHAMBER DURING RENOVATIONS TO THE PALACE OF WESTMINSTER | 8 sig. |
| 8 Jul 2015 | HEALTH AND CARE PROFESSIONS COUNCIL | 25 sig. |
| 6 Nov 2013 | IMPLEMENTATION OF REFORM OF SECTION 5 OF THE PUBLIC ORDER ACT 1986 | 12 sig. |
Speeches in the chamber
16 Jul 2026 Local Government Reorganisation
One of the poorest wards in the entire country is Gainsborough south-west ward. Why is the Secretary of State splitting West Lindsey in half? Why is he taking Scampton away from Gainsborough? It makes no sense. Why is he cutting away the n…
16 Jul 2026 British Steel
What concerns me is the jobs of my constituents who work at Scunthorpe. That is all I am worried about; I have no ideological objection. If it is what is needed now, fair enough. As long as the blast furnaces are totally uneconomic because…
9 Jul 2026 Israeli Settlements: Trade Ban
I congratulate the hon. Member for Sheffield Central (Abtisam Mohamed) on the tone of her speech, and I agree with her motion. I could give a speech on dry, legalistic grounds, which in themselves are completely obvious, to show why we …
9 Jul 2026 NATO Summit
I agree with everything that the Foreign Secretary said in her initial statement, particularly the point that we live in a more dangerous world than ever—I also agree with the shadow Foreign Secretary, obviously. The point is surely this: …
7 Jul 2026 Summer Jobs
I am just wondering if the Minister is looking forward to a new summer job at the end of July. Can he give us any confidence that the right hon. Member for Makerfield (Andy Burnham) has any new ideas to get young people into work? If he do…
7 Jul 2026 Summer Jobs
rose—
6 Jul 2026 Police Leadership Commission Report
I am grateful to the Minister for the £100 million grant she has given to Lincolnshire police and the transformative extra £12 million a year. We have been campaigning for that for years and have averted 400 job losses. When the Government…
2 Jul 2026 Historical Forced Adoption
I agree with everything that the Prime Minister has said, and I join him in his apology. Of course, while historical misdeeds—and these are misdeeds—have got to be condemned, individuals have to be judged by the standards and morality of t…
30 Jun 2026 Defence Investment Plan
Many wonder whether aircraft carriers are going to go the way of the old battleships, uniquely vulnerable to drones that cost a tiny fraction of their cost. To protect aircraft carriers, we need destroyers and frigates. Moreover, in two wo…
30 Jun 2026 Topical Questions
T7. The Secretary of State knows how fond I am of him personally, and I want him to keep his job, so will he please his new boss—the right hon. Member for Makerfield (Andy Burnham)—virtually the entire legal establishment and the Englis…
29 Jun 2026 Asylum Accommodation
I thank the Minister for confirming that RAF Scampton is not cost-effective. Frankly, he has been a lot more helpful than his predecessor Conservative Ministers, who have now left the Conservative party, so I thank him. The problem with…
15 Jun 2026 Defence Investment Plan
I am sure the King would have understood, but we will leave it at that. The Minister constantly blames the previous Conservative Government, but the fact is that times have changed. Let us look at history. We were in the same situation …
15 Jun 2026 Defence Investment Plan
When the nation is at risk and the Leader of the Opposition asks a question, it is frankly cowardly for the Secretary of State not to turn up. His duty is to be here in our House of Commons.
10 Jun 2026 Railways Bill
On dynamic management, I thought the Bill was about putting community at the heart of things. My hon. Friend knows that, for years, I have been campaigning for a through train from Grimsby through Market Rasen into London. When Mark Harper…
9 Jun 2026 Middle East
I agree with the Foreign Secretary’s statement, and I agreed with the Government’s decision, which I supported from day one, to stay out of this totally counterproductive war. I hope that we have all learnt our lesson and that we are never…
8 Jun 2026 Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill
I agree with a lot of what the hon. Gentleman says. We can surely agree on this point: what is really killing Scunthorpe are the insane green energy policies and the fact that we have the highest energy costs in Europe. If we had a sane en…
8 Jun 2026 Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill
Yes, the Minister is right: Greg Clark nationalised it. As far as my constituents who work at Scunthorpe are concerned—and, I am sure, those of my hon. Friend the Member for Brigg and Immingham (Martin Vickers)—all we want is a viable Scun…
8 Jun 2026 Digital Safety: Children
Rather than trading party political points, can we all agree that these huge companies are rotting our children’s minds with addictive algorithms? While we know that banning things seldom works because people circumvent it and it leads to …
8 Jun 2026 Progression of Bills through Parliament
Order. Briefly, please.
8 Jun 2026 Progression of Bills through Parliament
Order. A large number of colleagues wish to take part. I want this to be an orderly debate, in which everybody has their say, so I shall institute an immediate six-minute limit on speeches. If everybody sticks to that, everybody should get…
Source: contributions on parliament.uk.
Full parliamentary career
Government posts
- Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Trade and Industry) · Department of Trade and Industry 2 Nov 1990 – 27 May 1993
Committee memberships
- Restoration and Renewal Programme Board 23 Feb 2023 – 30 May 2024
- Panel of Chairs 15 Jan 2020 – 30 May 2024
- Public Accounts Commission 16 Nov 2017 – 4 Jul 2022
- National Security Strategy (Joint Committee) 28 Sep 2020 – 17 May 2022
- Procedure Committee 19 Mar 2018 – 6 Nov 2019
- Panel of Chairs 22 Jun 2017 – 6 Nov 2019
- International Trade Committee 31 Oct 2016 – 3 May 2017
- Public Accounts Commission 4 Nov 2015 – 3 May 2017
- Procedure Committee 13 Jul 2015 – 3 May 2017
- Panel of Chairs 7 Jul 2010 – 3 May 2017
- Members' Expenses Committee 18 Jul 2011 – 30 Mar 2015
- Public Accounts Commission · Chair 16 Mar 2011 – 30 Mar 2015
- Liaison Committee (Commons) 5 Nov 2001 – 6 May 2010
- Public Accounts Committee 14 Apr 2000 – 6 May 2010
- Public Accounts Committee · Chair 17 Oct 2001 – 1 Jan 2010
- International Development Committee 14 Jul 1997 – 19 Jul 2001
- Social Security 11 Dec 1995 – 13 Dec 2000
- Agriculture 26 Feb 1996 – 17 Oct 1996
- Defence Committee 9 Jun 1983 – 15 May 1987
Previous seats
- Gainsborough · Elected 4 times 6 May 2010 – 30 May 2024
- Gainsborough · Elected 3 times 1 May 1997 – 6 May 2010
- Gainsborough and Horncastle · Elected 3 times 9 Jun 1983 – 1 May 1997
Elections contested
- Middlesbrough 10 Oct 1974
Expenses
Contact & offices
020 7219 6480
Parliamentary office
House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Sir Edward Leigh, answered from official Parliament data.
Who is Sir Edward Leigh?
Sir Edward Leigh is a Member of Parliament representing Gainsborough in the House of Commons. See Sir Edward Leigh's official Parliament profile.
Which party does Sir Edward Leigh represent?
Sir Edward Leigh sits as Conservative. See Sir Edward Leigh's official Parliament profile.
Which constituency does Sir Edward Leigh represent?
Sir Edward Leigh is the Member of Parliament for Gainsborough. See Sir Edward Leigh's official Parliament profile.
How long has Sir Edward Leigh been an MP?
Sir Edward Leigh has served in the House of Commons for 43 years, 1 month. See Sir Edward Leigh's official Parliament profile.
What registered interests are listed for Sir Edward Leigh?
Sir Edward Leigh has 3 entries in the Register of Members' Financial Interests. See Sir Edward Leigh's official Parliament profile.
Source: this MP's official Parliament profile. Last updated 26 Jul 2026.