Member of Parliament
Karin Smyth
Labour MP for Bristol South
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
At a glanceKarin Smyth is a Labour MP for Bristol South, and has represented the seat for 11 years, 2 months. They currently serve as Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care). They have cast 460 votes in Commons divisions (80% attendance), tabled 934 written questions and registered 1 financial interest.
Attendance is votes cast as a share of the 575 Commons divisions since the 2024 election; Karin Smyth did not vote in 115. 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 (Department of Health and Social Care).
Current roles
- Health Bill Committee since 11 Jun 2026
- Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care) Government post · Department of Health and Social Care since 8 Jul 2024
- Bristol South Representation · Elected 1 time since 4 Jul 2024
- Labour Party since 7 May 2015
Voting record
Voting alignment
Votes most like
-
Rachel Hopkins
Labour
100.0% · 450 of 450 shared votes
-
Paul Davies
Labour
100.0% · 449 of 449 shared votes
-
Steve Yemm
Labour
100.0% · 445 of 445 shared votes
-
Tristan Osborne
Labour
100.0% · 438 of 438 shared votes
-
Adam Thompson
Labour
100.0% · 436 of 436 shared votes
Votes least like
-
Alex Burghart
Conservative
0.7% · 2 of 307 shared votes
-
Mrs Kemi Badenoch
Conservative
0.7% · 1 of 137 shared votes
-
Mr Mark Francois
Conservative
0.8% · 2 of 266 shared votes
-
Sir Roger Gale
Conservative
0.8% · 2 of 259 shared votes
-
Alan Mak
Conservative
0.9% · 3 of 331 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.
Gifts, benefits and hospitality from UK sources1
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) - £315.00 (registered 19 Jun 2026)
Written questions
NHS Trusts: ICT
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many IT failures there have been at NHS trusts that affected clinical service delivery in each of the last five years.
Answer · 21 May 2024
The information requested is not held centrally.
NHS Trusts: ICT
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many IT failures there have been at NHS trusts in each of the last five years.
Answer · 21 May 2024
The information requested is not held centrally.
Tomography
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of (a) CT and (b) MRI scanners have been in operation for longer than 10 years.
Answer · 24 May 2024
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Dissolution.
NHS Trusts: Infrastructure
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many infrastructure failures at NHS trusts have been recorded in each of the last five years; and how many such failures had an impact on clinical service delivery in each of those years.
Answer · 20 May 2024
The National Health Service publishes the annual Estates Returns Information Collection, which includes detailed information on the NHS estate. Individual NHS Trusts are responsible for providing the data for the Estates Returns Information Collection and...
NHS Trusts: Buildings
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in how many NHS trusts temporary buildings are in use.
Answer · 20 May 2024
The National Health Service does not hold data on the number of temporary buildings in use.
Integrated Care Systems: Finance
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much each NHS Integrated Care Systems owed to NHS England for historic deficits at the end of the 2023-24 financial year.
Answer · 20 May 2024
The final year-end financial position for the integrated care boards, National Health Service trusts, and foundation trusts has not yet been finalised. All figures are due to be audited and will be reported in the accounts for all organisations, as well a...
Integrated Care Systems and NHS Trusts: Finance
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS (a) integrated care systems and (b) trusts were in deficit at the end of the 2023-24 financial year; and if she will publish a breakdown of those figures by (i) acute, (ii) mental heal
Answer · 20 May 2024
The final year-end financial position for the integrated care boards, National Health Service trusts, and foundation trusts has not yet been finalised. All figures are due to be audited and will be reported in the accounts for all organisations, as well a...
Integrated Care Systems
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the overall year end deficit for integrated care systems was in the financial year 2023-24.
Answer · 20 May 2024
The final year-end financial position for the integrated care boards, National Health Service trusts, and foundation trusts has not yet been finalised. All figures are due to be audited and will be reported in the accounts for all organisations, as well a...
Speeches in the chamber
16 Jul 2026 Health Bill (Seventeenth sitting)
I thank the hon. Member for her kind comments. As the former Minister, the right hon. Member for Melton and Syston, recognised, I have been on the other side when considering a previous Bill. Opposition is hard work—the process is quite ha…
16 Jul 2026 Health Bill (Seventeenth sitting)
I will respond to the hon. Gentleman in a moment, but first I will address clauses 68 to 72, as well as amendment 77, which was tabled by the hon. Member for North Shropshire. Clause 68 will allow the Secretary of State, by regulations,…
16 Jul 2026 Health Bill (Seventeenth sitting)
I thank the hon. Lady for referencing that service in her constituency. I am not aware of the complications in the funding, but I will commit to getting back to her to understand that better, and I will see what the responses are from the …
16 Jul 2026 Health Bill (Seventeenth sitting)
On new clause 110, the Government are proud of the courage and dedication of our armed forces. We must all play our part in upholding the armed forces covenant, including for our armed forces veterans. The original covenant was under a Lab…
16 Jul 2026 Health Bill (Seventeenth sitting)
This is a really important subject, as everyone approaching the end of their life deserves dignified, compassionate and high-quality palliative and end-of-life care. Hospices provide extraordinary care, and hon. Members are right to highli…
16 Jul 2026 Health Bill (Seventeenth sitting)
On new clause 105, I can assure the hon. Lady that the Government are committed to supporting self-care. Community pharmacies already play a vital role by offering accessible advice and, where appropriate, over-the-counter medicines for mi…
16 Jul 2026 Health Bill (Seventeenth sitting)
I thank my hon. Friend for her work on and commitment to this issue, as was highlighted by the shadow Minister. I thank her also for her work on the APPG and with organisations such as Headway, to which we pay tribute for its work supporti…
16 Jul 2026 Health Bill (Seventeenth sitting)
I think all Committee members can recognise the importance of this issue. An acquired brain injury is a life-changing event for those affected, and for their families and loved ones. Its treatment involves co-ordination between primary, co…
16 Jul 2026 Health Bill (Seventeenth sitting)
This is an area of some discussion, some of which we have heard, but we do not think it is necessary, where we are now, to put such a measure in primary legislation. The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act establishes a statutory process…
16 Jul 2026 Health Bill (Seventeenth sitting)
We largely agree with new clauses 96 and 97 and the comments of the hon. Member for Isle of Wight East. He cited some organisations: Alzheimer’s Society, Alzheimer’s Research UK and Dementia UK; hon. Members across the House have worked wi…
16 Jul 2026 Health Bill (Seventeenth sitting)
I appreciate the intention behind new clause 87, but the Government cannot support it. The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act is designed to support a sustainable medical workforce that can meet population health needs and deliver the b…
16 Jul 2026 Health Bill (Seventeenth sitting)
As someone who previously set up a referral management service, I feel the need to join in this interesting clinical discussion while everybody else watches us for the next hour and a half, but I am not going to do that. Some interestin…
16 Jul 2026 Health Bill (Seventeenth sitting)
I am grateful to the hon. Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham for bringing this discussion before the Committee again today. The safety recommendations are an important mechanism for improving services and securing better outcomes for pa…
16 Jul 2026 Health Bill (Seventeenth sitting)
With new clause 83, I think the hon. Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham would like to exempt organisations that receive public funding to provide health and social care services from the public sector equality duty. I do not agree with …
16 Jul 2026 Health Bill (Seventeenth sitting)
I think I said that it is a failure of representatives on both the management side and the union side to agree a solution. That is what I meant by a failure of the system. Ultimately, strike action, as my hon. Friend the Member for Lichfie…
16 Jul 2026 Health Bill (Seventeenth sitting)
I thank my hon. Friend for bringing his experience to bear on this matter. I absolutely agree. New clause 82 stems from that resident doctors dispute. One of the first things that we did was to agree the 10-point plan with regard to the ma…
16 Jul 2026 Health Bill (Seventeenth sitting)
Indeed. They wanted to work with resident doctors to talk through a way to make progress without resorting to strike action, because that is a sign of failure in any system. On new clause 81, we are committed to reforming trade union le…
16 Jul 2026 Health Bill (Seventeenth sitting)
There have been interesting discussions on these new clauses. I recognise that the intention behind them is to reduce the impact on patients and NHS budgets when doctors take industrial action. That is an objective that we all support, but…
16 Jul 2026 Health Bill (Seventeenth sitting)
The hon. Member has brought up an important topic. The Government absolutely recognise that inaccurate information can undermine confidence in vaccines, which are so important. We are already taking a multi-pronged approach to addressing t…
16 Jul 2026 Health Bill (Seventeenth sitting)
Welcome to another rerun of the 2010s —happier times for the Opposition. Sometimes they do not remember what happened, and I have to remind them—and every now and then, they remind us. This is a really important issue, not only for the hon…
Source: contributions on parliament.uk.
Full parliamentary career
Opposition posts
- Shadow Minister (Health) · Department of Health and Social Care 6 Sep 2023 – 30 May 2024
- Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care) · Department of Health and Social Care 4 Dec 2021 – 1 Nov 2022
- Shadow Minister (Northern Ireland) · Northern Ireland Office 10 Apr 2020 – 26 Feb 2021
Committee memberships
- Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee 2 Mar 2020 – 30 May 2024
- Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Bill 16 Nov 2022 – 23 Nov 2022
- Down Syndrome Bill 19 Jan 2022 – 26 Jan 2022
- Health and Care Bill 7 Sep 2021 – 2 Nov 2021
- Northern Ireland Affairs Committee 2 Mar 2020 – 8 Jun 2020
- Public Accounts Committee 7 Jul 2015 – 3 May 2017
Previous seats
- Bristol South · Elected 3 times 7 May 2015 – 30 May 2024
Expenses
Contact & offices
0117 953 3575
Parliamentary office
House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
Constituency office
Constituency office
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Karin Smyth, answered from official Parliament data.
Who is Karin Smyth?
Karin Smyth is a Member of Parliament representing Bristol South in the House of Commons. See Karin Smyth's official Parliament profile.
Which party does Karin Smyth represent?
Karin Smyth sits as Labour. See Karin Smyth's official Parliament profile.
Which constituency does Karin Smyth represent?
Karin Smyth is the Member of Parliament for Bristol South. See Karin Smyth's official Parliament profile.
How long has Karin Smyth been an MP?
Karin Smyth has served in the House of Commons for 11 years, 2 months. See Karin Smyth's official Parliament profile.
What registered interests are listed for Karin Smyth?
Karin Smyth has 1 entry in the Register of Members' Financial Interests. See Karin Smyth's official Parliament profile.
Source: this MP's official Parliament profile. Last updated 26 Jul 2026.