Member of Parliament
Alison McGovern
Labour MP for Birkenhead
Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
At a glanceAlison McGovern is a Labour MP for Birkenhead, and has represented the seat for 16 years, 2 months. They currently serve as Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government). They have cast 375 votes in Commons divisions (65% attendance) and tabled 807 written questions.
Attendance is votes cast as a share of the 575 Commons divisions since the 2024 election; Alison McGovern did not vote in 200. 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
She currently holds the Government post of Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government).
Current roles
- Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission Committee since 13 Oct 2025
- Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government) Government post · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government since 6 Sep 2025
- Birkenhead Representation · Elected 1 time since 4 Jul 2024
- Labour Party since 6 May 2010
Voting record
Voting alignment
Votes most like
-
Alex Mayer Labour 100.0% · 375 of 375 shared votes
-
Rachel Hopkins
Labour
100.0% · 372 of 372 shared votes
-
Paul Davies
Labour
100.0% · 371 of 371 shared votes
-
Tristan Osborne
Labour
100.0% · 364 of 364 shared votes
-
Adam Thompson
Labour
100.0% · 360 of 360 shared votes
Votes least like
-
Sir Roger Gale
Conservative
0.5% · 1 of 220 shared votes
-
Sir Geoffrey Cox
Conservative
0.6% · 1 of 157 shared votes
-
George Freeman
Conservative
0.9% · 2 of 230 shared votes
-
Andrew Griffith
Conservative
0.9% · 2 of 229 shared votes
-
Mr Mark Francois
Conservative
0.9% · 2 of 223 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.
Written questions
Universal Credit: Employment
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant the Answer of 24 April 2024 to Question 22551 on Universal Credit: Employment, what her planned timetable is for the (a) conclusion and (b) publication of the evaluation of the Additional Jobce
Answer · 24 May 2024
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Access to Work Programme
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time was for an initial assessment for people on the Access to Work Scheme in the last five years.
Answer · 23 May 2024
The average waiting time for an initial assessment for people on the Access to Work Scheme in the last five years is not available. However, the Access to Work statistics includes how many applications result in provision being approved from 2007/08 to 20...
Employment
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people entered employment through the people and skills strand of the European Social Fund in each year since its inception until its end.
Answer · 24 May 2024
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Personal Independence Payment: Medical Examinations
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) face-to-face, (b) remote and (c) paper-based Personal Independence Payment assessments resulted in claims being (i) awarded, (ii) disallowed and (iii) withdrawn in each financial year since
Answer · 24 May 2024
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Employment: Young People
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Youth Hubs there are as of 21 May 2024.
Answer · 24 May 2024
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Employment: Young People
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Youth Hubs there were in 2023.
Answer · 24 May 2024
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Employment: Young People
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Youth Hubs there were in 2022.
Answer · 24 May 2024
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Employment: Young People
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Youth Hubs there were in 2021.
Answer · 24 May 2024
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Early day motions
| 15 Oct 2019 | Intimidation in public life | 67 sig. |
| 7 Oct 2019 | INTIMIDATION IN PUBLIC LIFE | 24 sig. |
| 11 Dec 2012 | HILLSBOROUGH JUSTICE FUND SINGLE AND VAT | 38 sig. |
| 18 Oct 2011 | OLYMPICS 2012 | 20 sig. |
| 15 Jun 2011 | LOST ARTS CAMPAIGN | 27 sig. |
| 5 Apr 2011 | FUNDING FOR THE ARTS | 32 sig. |
Speeches in the chamber
13 Jul 2026 Local Government Reorganisation
I will take away that point and endeavour to give the hon. Gentleman that information as soon as we can.
13 Jul 2026 Local Government Reorganisation
The hon. Lady has made her points very clear and they are on the record. The one thing that I do not want to do is delay, because the longer this takes, the less our ability to get on with the problems that councils face in looking after o…
13 Jul 2026 Local Government Reorganisation
As the hon. Member has indicated, we have set out a process and are sticking to it.
13 Jul 2026 Local Government Reorganisation
I am sorry to disappoint the hon. Gentleman, but I am not here to answer questions on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Member for Makerfield (Andy Burnham). We have set out a clear timetable for local government reorganisation, and we sh…
13 Jul 2026 Local Government Reorganisation
I could spend all my time at this Dispatch Box confirming or denying rumours, but I think I would be here until Thursday if I did that. I am sure that we will have further interactions when I make the statement shortly.
13 Jul 2026 Local Government Reorganisation
I do not, because councils have worked extremely hard to follow the timetable that we have set out, and I think it would be a mistake to interrupt that. Councils’ costs have spiked terribly in recent years because of central Government fai…
13 Jul 2026 Local Government Reorganisation
There is obviously a limit to what I can say, given that the decision will be reported to Parliament later in the week. Perhaps we can come back to this issue then, but I am very happy to say that I have met with Lord Vallance and work ver…
13 Jul 2026 Local Government Reorganisation
Let me see if I have understood the right hon. Gentleman’s question. The fair funding review was put in place to reconnect funding with need. We think that we have done so in a way that meets the needs of nine tenths of councils now, which…
13 Jul 2026 Local Government Reorganisation
As I mentioned earlier, there is evidence from the Milburn review of child poverty that fragmented services are very bad for vulnerable people living in poverty. There are other examples as well, and I have heard from my hon. Friend about …
13 Jul 2026 Local Government Reorganisation
I am now aware of the opinion poll because the right hon. Member mentioned it to me a few moments ago, for which I am grateful. He has mentioned a meeting, which I certainly did not attend. I am sure that if he forwards the details, the De…
13 Jul 2026 Local Government Reorganisation
Yes, I can confirm that. Let me add, as somebody whose area was reorganised in 1974, that there is yet to be a campaign to undo the creation of the Wirral.
13 Jul 2026 Local Government Reorganisation
I take the hon. Lady’s question as a kind of pre-alert for what she would like to know on Thursday. That is helpful, and I thank her for it. Let me make the general point that local government finances are very challenging, and when a coun…
13 Jul 2026 Local Government Reorganisation
Yes, we will consider representations from all stakeholders through this process.
13 Jul 2026 Local Government Reorganisation
I am sorry to say that I have not seen that report in The Times, but I would be very happy to write the right hon. Gentleman with a response to his question.
13 Jul 2026 Local Government Reorganisation
As a fellow north-west MP and fan of Blackpool, I say to my hon. Friend that he is absolutely right. We need to stick to the timetable and get on with this, so that we can invest in Lancashire, in Blackpool and in everywhere else.
13 Jul 2026 Local Government Reorganisation
I am not sure that all the hon. Gentleman’s questions were central to the subject of this statement, but he makes an important point, which is: what is the objective here? The objective is to grow our economy, so that we can deal with depr…
13 Jul 2026 Local Government Reorganisation
I suggest to my hon. Friend that once I have actually made the announcement, perhaps we can have a chat about those things. As somebody who has had mayoral devolution in my area for more than a decade now, and who represents the great town…
13 Jul 2026 Local Government Reorganisation
The approach we are taking is to put power in the hands of people and communities so that they can take decisions for themselves, because all the evidence is that if people with skin in the game take the decisions, we get better decisions,…
13 Jul 2026 Local Government Reorganisation
I thank my hon. Friend for his question. I have set out the process by which this House will be updated on the decisions, but if my hon. Friend has evidence of anything else that he is concerned about, he may well want to write to me to sh…
13 Jul 2026 Local Government Reorganisation
Last time I checked, my right hon. Friend the Member for Makerfield had, in fact, been elected.
Source: contributions on parliament.uk.
Full parliamentary career
Government posts
- Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions) · Department for Work and Pensions 8 Jul 2024 – 6 Sep 2025
Opposition posts
- Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions) · Department for Work and Pensions 4 Dec 2021 – 30 May 2024
- Shadow Minister (Digital, Culture, Media and Sport) · Department for Culture, Media and Sport 10 Apr 2020 – 4 Dec 2021
- Shadow Minister (Treasury) · HM Treasury 8 May 2015 – 18 Sep 2015
- Shadow Minister (Education) · Department for Education 5 Nov 2014 – 30 Mar 2015
- Shadow Minister (International Development) · Department for International Development 7 Oct 2013 – 5 Nov 2014
- Opposition Whip (Commons) · Whips Office (Commons) 11 Jan 2013 – 7 Oct 2013
Committee memberships
- Cultural Objects (Protection From Seizure) Bill 9 Nov 2021 – 17 Nov 2021
- Treasury Committee 2 Mar 2020 – 11 May 2020
- Speaker's Advisory Committee on Works of Art · Chair 12 Dec 2017 – 6 Nov 2019
- Treasury Sub-Committee 14 Sep 2017 – 6 Nov 2019
- Treasury Committee 11 Sep 2017 – 6 Nov 2019
- Speaker's Advisory Committee on Works of Art · Chair 26 Oct 2016 – 3 May 2017
- Speaker's Advisory Committee on Works of Art 1 Jul 2015 – 3 May 2017
- Speaker's Advisory Committee on Works of Art 18 Nov 2010 – 30 Mar 2015
- International Development Committee 2 Nov 2010 – 4 Feb 2013
Previous seats
- Wirral South · Elected 4 times 6 May 2010 – 30 May 2024
Expenses
Contact & offices
020 7219 7190
Parliamentary office
House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
Constituency office
Make Hamilton, 69-71 Argyle Street, Birkenhead, CH41 6AB
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Alison McGovern, answered from official Parliament data.
Who is Alison McGovern?
Alison McGovern is a Member of Parliament representing Birkenhead in the House of Commons. See Alison McGovern's official Parliament profile.
Which party does Alison McGovern represent?
Alison McGovern sits as Labour. See Alison McGovern's official Parliament profile.
Which constituency does Alison McGovern represent?
Alison McGovern is the Member of Parliament for Birkenhead. See Alison McGovern's official Parliament profile.
How long has Alison McGovern been an MP?
Alison McGovern has served in the House of Commons for 16 years, 2 months. See Alison McGovern's official Parliament profile.
What registered interests are listed for Alison McGovern?
Alison McGovern has no entries in the Register of Members' Financial Interests. See Alison McGovern's official Parliament profile.
Source: this MP's official Parliament profile. Last updated 26 Jul 2026.