At a glanceJim Shannon is a Democratic Unionist Party MP for Strangford, and has represented the seat for 16 years, 2 months. They have cast 523 votes in Commons divisions (91% attendance), tabled 9,460 written questions and registered 3 financial interests.
Attendance is votes cast as a share of the 575 Commons divisions since the 2024 election; Jim Shannon did not vote in 52. 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
Current roles
- Secure 16 to 19 Academies Bill Committee since 30 Jun 2025
- Secure 16 to 19 Academies Bill Committee since 26 Jun 2025
- Courts (Remote Hearings) Bill Committee since 26 Jun 2025
- Space Industry (Indemnities) Bill Committee since 18 Jun 2025
- Strangford Representation · Elected 1 time since 4 Jul 2024
- Democratic Unionist Party Party since 6 May 2010
Voting record
Voting alignment
Votes most like
-
Mr Gregory Campbell
Democratic Unionist Party
99.4% · 311 of 313 shared votes
-
Gavin Robinson
Democratic Unionist Party
98.5% · 319 of 324 shared votes
-
Carla Lockhart
Democratic Unionist Party
98.5% · 262 of 266 shared votes
-
Sammy Wilson
Democratic Unionist Party
98.3% · 289 of 294 shared votes
-
David Mundell
Conservative
96.0% · 265 of 276 shared votes
Votes least like
-
Mr Douglas Alexander
Labour (Co-op)
7.3% · 18 of 245 shared votes
-
Ed Miliband
Labour
8.3% · 13 of 157 shared votes
-
Dame Angela Eagle
Labour
8.5% · 33 of 386 shared votes
-
Noah Law
Labour
8.6% · 34 of 396 shared votes
-
Michael Payne
Labour
8.8% · 36 of 408 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 Iraq between 15 February 2026 and 20 February 2026 (registered 5 Mar 2026)
Land and property (within or outside the UK)2
- Residential in no location provided
- Agricultural in Ballygarvin (registered 31 May 2021)
Written questions
Training: Northern Ireland
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on improving vocational and technical training opportunities for young people.
Awaiting an answer from the Northern Ireland Office.
Schools: Northern Ireland
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on supporting schools in areas of high deprivation.
Awaiting an answer from the Northern Ireland Office.
Education: Northern Ireland
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate has been made of the educational attainment gaps between different communities in Northern Ireland.
Awaiting an answer from the Northern Ireland Office.
Small Businesses: Northern Ireland
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps are being taken to support small and medium-sized enterprises in Northern Ireland.
Awaiting an answer from the Northern Ireland Office.
Broadband: Rural Areas
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps are being taken to improve broadband and digital infrastructure in rural areas.
Awaiting an answer from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
Economic Situation: Northern Ireland
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of Brexit on Northern Ireland’s economy.
Awaiting an answer from the Northern Ireland Office.
Foreign Investment in UK: Northern Ireland
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps are being taken to attract inward investment and create jobs in NI.
Awaiting an answer from the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade .
Health: Disadvantaged
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what funding has been allocated to help address health inequalities across Northern Ireland.
Awaiting an answer from the Northern Ireland Office.
Early day motions
| 14 Jul 2026 | Sam Neill | 4 sig. |
| 6 Jul 2026 | Phenylketonuria awareness and treatment access in Northern Ireland | 2 sig. |
| 6 Jul 2026 | 30th anniversary of Christians Against Poverty | 8 sig. |
| 29 Jun 2026 | Armed Forces Day 2026 | 5 sig. |
| 29 Jun 2026 | 40th anniversary of AGEnda North Down and Ards | 2 sig. |
| 22 Jun 2026 | Killinchy Young Farmers' Club 95th anniversary | 2 sig. |
Speeches in the chamber
16 Jul 2026 Business of the House
I thank the Leader of the House for all his answers to our questions and wish him well for the summer. I look forward to returning in September. Can we have a statement from the Foreign Secretary on the continuing discrimination faced b…
16 Jul 2026 British Steel
As always, the Minister is positive and giving us encouragement. I welcome the steps that have been taken to secure the wider British steel industry, but I will press the Minister on the critical issue facing manufacturing in Northern Irel…
16 Jul 2026 Transport Decarbonisation
I will focus on the decarbonisation of the transport sector. I thank the Secretary of State for that answer. She will know that we in Northern Ireland want to be part of decarbonisation; Wrightbus in Ballymena is an example of that. What h…
16 Jul 2026 Changing Places Toilets: Capital Funding
So we got some, but we need that to be ringfenced. Minister, if moneys are coming through Barnett consequentials, let us ensure that they are used for those purposes. We need central capital funding that can be accessed by local councils l…
16 Jul 2026 Changing Places Toilets: Capital Funding
It is always a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Alec. I thank the hon. Member for Bexleyheath and Crayford (Daniel Francis) for introducing a topic that, as he said and as we all know, touches the very core of human dignity, equ…
16 Jul 2026 National Planning Policy Framework
I commend the right hon. Gentleman on his speech. I know that the Minister is not responsible for my constituency across the water, but does the right hon. Gentleman feel that recommendations and good things learned on the mainland should …
16 Jul 2026 National Planning Policy Framework
I commend the hon. Lady for the ambition she has put forward. Does she not agree that there is a risk of severe regulatory divergence? If the English planning system undergoes massive deregulation and introduces a faster, rules-based yes b…
16 Jul 2026 Protecting Built Heritage
I thank the hon. Lady and her Select Committee for their many positive recommendations when it comes to the repair and conservation of shared heritage. Previous schemes have retained and restored churches and other shared heritage across t…
15 Jul 2026 Iran
First, may I welcome the Minister to his place, as this is the first opportunity I have had to do so? I also thank him for the contribution he made in his former life, and the expertise and experience he brings to this Chamber. I very m…
15 Jul 2026 National Energy System Operator: Blackout Risk
I thank the Minister, as always, for his answers and for his solution-based responses. My constituents watch developments with absolute dread, when every day families and vulnerable pensioners face skyrocketing bills. The very least they d…
15 Jul 2026 Estate Regeneration
You’re playing catch-up!
15 Jul 2026 Estate Regeneration
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Murrison. I thank the hon. Member for Basingstoke (Luke Murphy) for highlighting this issue. Many of us can be guilty of forgetting that a house is not just a unit on a spreadsheet, but…
15 Jul 2026 Northern Ireland Hospitality Sector
The Minister is making a very good and clear speech. He referred to parts of Europe whose Governments are considering a VAT reduction because they recognise the importance of the hospitality sector. Are the Government considering that? If …
15 Jul 2026 Northern Ireland Hospitality Sector
It is no wonder that the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Adam Jogee) had to go all the way to Northern Ireland to get an Ulster girl to marry. That tells you what Ulster women are like. They are the best.
15 Jul 2026 Northern Ireland Hospitality Sector
Will the Minister give way on that point?
15 Jul 2026 Northern Ireland Hospitality Sector
I commend the hon. Gentleman, who is a friend and colleague, for securing this vital debate. I rise to support the UK-wide #VATsTheProblem campaign, alongside our local champions at Hospitality Ulster. The hospitality sector in Northern Ir…
15 Jul 2026 Waste Management Sites
The hon. Gentleman mentioned the Countryside Alliance. The Countryside Alliance is, of course, a country sports organisation, but it is a very credible and influential organisation that highlights things such as rural crime and waste sites…
15 Jul 2026 Waste Management Sites
It is a real pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Murrison. We owe a big thank you to the hon. Member for Blackpool North and Fleetwood (Lorraine Beavers) for setting the scene and addressing a matter that has been an overwhelming so…
15 Jul 2026 Peak Cluster Pipeline and Project
I fully support the right hon. Lady’s efforts on behalf of her constituents. I have an understanding of the issues. Does she agree that any final approval for the Peak Cluster project must include cast-iron, legally binding guarantees to p…
15 Jul 2026 Regional Accents and Social Mobility
The hon. Lady referred to her aunt’s father, who was almost 90 years old, and that reminds me of my own dad, who is dead and gone. He was a very proud Donegal man, and one of the wee poems or verses that he taught me when I was small was t…
Source: contributions on parliament.uk.
Full parliamentary career
Opposition posts
- Shadow DUP Spokesperson (Human Rights) · Opposition Department 1 Jul 2017 – 30 May 2024
- Shadow DUP Spokesperson (Health) · Opposition Department 8 May 2015 – 30 May 2024
- Shadow DUP Spokesperson (Equality) · Opposition Department 8 May 2015 – 8 Jun 2017
- Shadow DUP Spokesperson (Transport) · Opposition Department 8 May 2015 – 8 Jun 2017
- Shadow DUP Spokesperson (Human Rights) · Opposition Department 3 Apr 2012 – 30 Mar 2015
- Shadow DUP Spokesperson (Health) · Opposition Department 12 May 2010 – 30 Mar 2015
- Shadow DUP Spokesperson (Transport) · Opposition Department 12 May 2010 – 30 Mar 2015
Committee memberships
- Northern Ireland Affairs Committee 9 Jan 2023 – 30 May 2024
- Ecclesiastical Committee 4 Mar 2020 – 30 May 2024
- Local Government (Pay Accountability) Bill 15 May 2024 – 22 May 2024
- Courts (Remote Hearings) Bill 8 May 2024 – 15 May 2024
- School Attendance (Duties of Local Authorities and Proprietors of Schools) Bill 24 Apr 2024 – 1 May 2024
- Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief Bill (Formerly known as International Freedom of Religion or Belief Bill) 17 Apr 2024 – 24 Apr 2024
- Zoological Society of London (Leases) Bill 21 Feb 2024 – 28 Feb 2024
- Pet Abduction Bill 24 Jan 2024 – 31 Jan 2024
- Pension Schemes (Conversion of Guaranteed Minimum Pensions) Bill 26 Jan 2022 – 2 Feb 2022
- Motor Vehicles (Compulsory Insurance) Bill 15 Dec 2021 – 5 Jan 2022
- Approved Premises (Substance Testing) Bill 8 Dec 2021 – 15 Dec 2021
- Local Government (Disqualification) Bill 24 Nov 2021 – 1 Dec 2021
- Cultural Objects (Protection From Seizure) Bill 9 Nov 2021 – 17 Nov 2021
- Northern Ireland Affairs Committee 11 Sep 2017 – 6 Nov 2019
- Northern Ireland Affairs Committee 5 Dec 2016 – 3 May 2017
- Committees on Arms Export Controls 10 Feb 2016 – 3 May 2017
- Defence Sub-Committee 8 Sep 2015 – 5 Dec 2016
- Defence Committee 6 Jul 2015 – 5 Dec 2016
Previous seats
- Strangford · Elected 4 times 6 May 2010 – 30 May 2024
Expenses
Contact & offices
020 7219 7160
Parliamentary office
House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
Constituency office
34A Frances Street, Newtownards, BT23 7DN
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Jim Shannon, answered from official Parliament data.
Who is Jim Shannon?
Jim Shannon is a Member of Parliament representing Strangford in the House of Commons. See Jim Shannon's official Parliament profile.
Which party does Jim Shannon represent?
Jim Shannon sits as Democratic Unionist Party. See Jim Shannon's official Parliament profile.
Which constituency does Jim Shannon represent?
Jim Shannon is the Member of Parliament for Strangford. See Jim Shannon's official Parliament profile.
How long has Jim Shannon been an MP?
Jim Shannon has served in the House of Commons for 16 years, 2 months. See Jim Shannon's official Parliament profile.
What registered interests are listed for Jim Shannon?
Jim Shannon has 3 entries in the Register of Members' Financial Interests. See Jim Shannon's official Parliament profile.
Source: this MP's official Parliament profile. Last updated 26 Jul 2026.