Member of Parliament
Nick Thomas-Symonds
Labour MP for Torfaen
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
At a glanceNick Thomas-Symonds is a Labour MP for Torfaen, and has represented the seat for 11 years, 2 months. They currently serve as Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office. They have cast 213 votes in Commons divisions (37% attendance), tabled 403 written questions and registered 9 financial interests.
Attendance is votes cast as a share of the 575 Commons divisions since the 2024 election; Nick Thomas-Symonds did not vote in 362. 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 currently holds the Government post of Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office.
Current roles
- Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office Government post · Cabinet Office since 8 Jul 2024
- Torfaen Representation · Elected 1 time since 4 Jul 2024
- Labour Party since 7 May 2015
Voting record
Voting alignment
Votes most like
-
Sojan Joseph
Labour
100.0% · 212 of 212 shared votes
-
Daniel Francis
Labour
100.0% · 205 of 205 shared votes
-
Douglas McAllister
Labour
100.0% · 202 of 202 shared votes
-
Sean Woodcock
Labour
100.0% · 201 of 201 shared votes
-
Lola McEvoy
Labour
100.0% · 201 of 201 shared votes
Votes least like
-
Sir Mel Stride
Conservative
0.0% · 0 of 121 shared votes
-
Victoria Atkins
Conservative
0.0% · 0 of 107 shared votes
-
Chris Philp
Conservative
0.7% · 1 of 148 shared votes
-
George Freeman
Conservative
0.9% · 1 of 113 shared votes
-
Sir Roger Gale
Conservative
1.6% · 2 of 129 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.
Employment and earnings1
- Royalties for books
Employment and earnings - Ad hoc payments4
- Payment received on 26 June 2026 - £496.08 (registered 27 Jun 2026)
- Payment received on 26 June 2026 - £101.82 (registered 27 Jun 2026)
- Payment received on 25 November 2025 - £529.27 (registered 28 Nov 2025)
- Payment received on 29 July 2025 - £946.34 (registered 8 Aug 2025)
Gifts, benefits and hospitality from UK sources1
- BBC - £160.00 (registered 26 Aug 2025)
Miscellaneous3
- Honorary Fellowship of St Edmund Hall, Oxford University. This is an unpaid role. (registered 2 Jun 2025)
- Member of the Neighbourhood Board for Cwmbran in my capacity as the local MP. This is an unpaid role. (registered 21 May 2024)
- Barrister, not currently practising. (registered 3 Jun 2015)
Written questions
Home Office: ICT
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the policy paper entitled Transforming for a digital future: 2022 to 2025 roadmap for digital and data, updated on 29 February 2024, what steps his Department has taken to mitigate t
Answer · 24 Apr 2024
The Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO), in the Cabinet Office, has established a programme to support departments managing legacy IT. CDDO has agreed a framework to identify ‘red-rated’ systems, indicating high levels of risk surrounding certain asset...
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: ICT
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the policy paper entitled Transforming for a digital future: 2022 to 2025 roadmap for digital and data, updated on 29 February 2024, what steps his Department has tak
Answer · 23 Apr 2024
The Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO), in the Cabinet Office, has established a programme to support departments managing legacy IT. CDDO has agreed a frame-work to identify ‘red-rated’ systems, indicating high levels of risk surrounding certain asse...
Boris Johnson
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, when his Department was first informed of Boris Johnson's meeting with Venezuelan government officials; and whether enquiries were made on the nature of this visit.
Answer · 15 Apr 2024
Boris Johnson was visiting entirely in a personal capacity and not acting on behalf of the UK Government. His trip was not funded by the UK Government. As part of his visit, Mr Johnson paid a courtesy call on the British Residence in Caracas. The UK does ...
Boris Johnson
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will hold discussions with Boris Johnson on the requirements upon him under the business appointment rules to make applications to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, in the context of his rol
Answer · 15 Apr 2024
The Government expects all former Ministers to abide by their obligations with regard to the Business Appointment Rules, as set out in the Ministerial Code. The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments writes to the Government if they consider there to...
Boris Johnson
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether his Department provided a briefing to Boris Johnson in advance of his meeting with the Venezuelan President.
Answer · 15 Apr 2024
Boris Johnson was visiting entirely in a personal capacity and not acting on behalf of the UK Government. His trip was not funded by the UK Government. As part of his visit, Mr Johnson paid a courtesy call on the British Residence in Caracas. The UK does ...
Former Ministers: Business Interests
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent progress his Department has made on introducing a deed of undertaking to make the requirements of the Business Appointment Rules enforceable for Ministers.
Answer · 15 Apr 2024
The Government expects all former Ministers to abide by their obligations with regard to the Business Appointment Rules, as set out in the Ministerial Code. The work to develop a ministerial deed is ongoing and an update will be made in due course.
Ministry of Defence: Legal Costs
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the total cost to the public purse was of legal (a) support and (b) representation to Ministers in his Department in relation to their official conduct in each of the last three years.
Answer · 25 Mar 2024
Such information is not centrally recorded or collated in the format requested. More generally, I would refer the hon. Member to the long-standing policies on legal expenditure, as set out recently by Cabinet Office Ministers on 12 March 2004, Official Re...
Home Office: Legal Costs
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the total cost to the public purse was of legal (a) support and (b) representation to Ministers in his Department in relation to their official conduct in each of the last three years.
Answer · 25 Mar 2024
Such information is not centrally recorded or collated in the form requested. More generally, I would refer the honourable Member to the long-standing policies on legal expenditure, as set out recently by Cabinet Office Ministers on 12 March 2024, Officia...
Early day motions
| 3 Mar 2020 | 70th anniversary of the Llandow Air Disaster | 22 sig. |
| 11 Jul 2016 | EURO 2016 AND WALES | 47 sig. |
Speeches in the chamber
6 Jul 2026 Payment Scheme
Once again, this has been an excellent debate. It has been excellent in tone and excellent in terms of hon. and right hon. Members speaking about their constituents. I will try to deal with some of the issues, but there will be others, par…
6 Jul 2026 Payment Scheme
Certainly every single situation is a priority. The hon. Gentleman will be aware that IBCA is operationally independent. It has come up with a priority set of cohorts, which is publicly available, but the estates of the deceased are absolu…
6 Jul 2026 Payment Scheme
It is per round of interferon treatment. I am pleased to provide that clarification to my hon. Friend, and I repeat my thanks to her for her work.
6 Jul 2026 Payment Scheme
The point I am making around duty of candour, which I think overrides all these other points, is really what Sir Brian Langstaff was referring to. He called it institutional defensiveness, saying that the problem when awful things happened…
6 Jul 2026 Payment Scheme
Yes, I do. The Hillsborough law is something that I have given a great deal of personal time to over the last couple of years; it has been before this House, and I do not think that it is far away at all from becoming law. I hope that over…
6 Jul 2026 Payment Scheme
My hon. Friend is absolutely right and there are certainly lessons to be learned. That point applies in this case and, sadly, to a number of the other historical scandals that the House has dealt with over recent years.
6 Jul 2026 Payment Scheme
It was a privilege to work with my hon. Friend in Government. She was excellent to work with on this matter, and I am very grateful for all her contributions. Of course, I have been dealing with a number of Sir Brian Langstaff’s recommenda…
6 Jul 2026 Payment Scheme
I will give way to my hon. Friend, but then I had better get on to the regulations.
6 Jul 2026 Payment Scheme
My hon. Friend makes a fair point. When it came to this particular recommendation from Sir Brian Langstaff, I was concerned about two things. First, I wanted to ensure that there was a proper structure for the infected blood community to b…
6 Jul 2026 Payment Scheme
As the right hon. Gentleman can imagine, I have interacted with the Haemophilia Society and many other charities over the past two years. It is important to mention that the scheme does include carers; I am perfectly willing to look at wh…
6 Jul 2026 Payment Scheme
Yes. That is why the scheme is designed for both infected and affected people—and not just spouses; it includes children and siblings, and I am proud that it also includes carers. We think about the awful injustice for those who were infec…
6 Jul 2026 Payment Scheme
My hon. Friend is absolutely right to raise that point. I have always been clear about the individualised caseworkers and the personalised approach of IBCA, and about the importance of legal and financial support, so that people can make i…
6 Jul 2026 Payment Scheme
I will, and then I will come back to the point made by my hon. Friend the Member for Eltham and Chislehurst (Clive Efford).
6 Jul 2026 Payment Scheme
On my hon. Friend’s first point, what we have before us is based on extensive consultation with the community. On the laying of the regulations, I hope that right hon. and hon. Members will see that the timing of this debate is designed so…
6 Jul 2026 Payment Scheme
I thank the hon. Lady; I worked closely with her on this issue when I was first in this role back in 2024 and she was in her previous role. What happens is that IBCA starts small. It uses a test-and-learn approach. With the infected, that …
6 Jul 2026 Payment Scheme
I will be delighted to write to my hon. Friend with the absolute up-to-date figure, but he is absolutely right to draw attention to the importance of progress. I know that Members across the House will, as they always do, welcome that prog…
6 Jul 2026 Payment Scheme
I beg to move, That the draft Infected Blood Compensation Scheme (Amendment) Regulations 2026, which were laid before this House on 18 June, be approved. Before I begin the debate, I do want to pause and reflect on the reason that we…
6 Jul 2026 Civil Service Pensions
It is a good question. First, we will continue to prioritise operational delivery day to day, so people who are to retire in the very near future have that reassurance. Secondly, they can be assured that we are looking in the medium term a…
6 Jul 2026 Civil Service Pensions
My hon. Friend is right that that situation is totally unacceptable. People should not have to battle in that way at vulnerable moments in their life. He can be assured that we will look at every method to ensure that people get the level …
6 Jul 2026 Civil Service Pensions
Absolutely. Public servants, who are represented in the Chamber by Members across the House, deserve so much better. My hon. Friend can be assured that the independent audit will be looking at a range of options.
Source: contributions on parliament.uk.
Full parliamentary career
Opposition posts
- Shadow Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office) · Cabinet Office 4 Sep 2023 – 30 May 2024
- Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade · Department for Business and Trade 29 Nov 2021 – 4 Sep 2023
- Shadow Home Secretary · Home Office 5 Apr 2020 – 29 Nov 2021
- Shadow Minister (Home Office) (Security) · Home Office 3 Jul 2017 – 5 Apr 2020
- Shadow Solicitor General · Attorney General's Office 9 Oct 2016 – 5 Apr 2020
- Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions) · Department for Work and Pensions 18 Sep 2015 – 27 Jun 2016
Committee memberships
- Welsh Grand Committee 18 Jan 2022 – 30 May 2024
- Justice Committee 6 Jul 2015 – 26 Oct 2015
Previous seats
- Torfaen · Elected 3 times 7 May 2015 – 30 May 2024
Expenses
Contact & offices
020 7219 4294
Parliamentary office
House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
Constituency office
Constituency office
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Nick Thomas-Symonds, answered from official Parliament data.
Who is Nick Thomas-Symonds?
Nick Thomas-Symonds is a Member of Parliament representing Torfaen in the House of Commons. See Nick Thomas-Symonds's official Parliament profile.
Which party does Nick Thomas-Symonds represent?
Nick Thomas-Symonds sits as Labour. See Nick Thomas-Symonds's official Parliament profile.
Which constituency does Nick Thomas-Symonds represent?
Nick Thomas-Symonds is the Member of Parliament for Torfaen. See Nick Thomas-Symonds's official Parliament profile.
How long has Nick Thomas-Symonds been an MP?
Nick Thomas-Symonds has served in the House of Commons for 11 years, 2 months. See Nick Thomas-Symonds's official Parliament profile.
What registered interests are listed for Nick Thomas-Symonds?
Nick Thomas-Symonds has 9 entries in the Register of Members' Financial Interests. See Nick Thomas-Symonds's official Parliament profile.
Source: this MP's official Parliament profile. Last updated 27 Jul 2026.