Member of Parliament
Sarah Olney
Liberal Democrat MP for Richmond Park
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Business)
At a glanceSarah Olney is a Liberal Democrat MP for Richmond Park, and has represented the seat for 6 years, 7 months. They currently serve as Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Business). They have cast 354 votes in Commons divisions (62% attendance) and tabled 1,940 written questions.
Attendance is votes cast as a share of the 575 Commons divisions since the 2024 election; Sarah Olney did not vote in 221. 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 undertakes the role of Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Business).
Current roles
- Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Business) Opposition post · Opposition Department since 1 Oct 2025
- Public Accounts Commission Committee since 17 Dec 2024
- Public Accounts Committee Committee since 28 Oct 2024
- Richmond Park Representation · Elected 1 time since 4 Jul 2024
- Liberal Democrat Party since 1 Dec 2016
Voting record
Voting alignment
Votes most like
-
Calum Miller
Liberal Democrat
100.0% · 321 of 321 shared votes
-
Munira Wilson
Liberal Democrat
100.0% · 315 of 315 shared votes
-
Monica Harding
Liberal Democrat
100.0% · 305 of 305 shared votes
-
Mr Paul Kohler
Liberal Democrat
100.0% · 278 of 278 shared votes
-
Gideon Amos
Liberal Democrat
99.7% · 333 of 334 shared votes
Votes least like
-
Emily Thornberry
Labour
10.3% · 20 of 194 shared votes
-
Catherine West
Labour
10.6% · 24 of 226 shared votes
-
Ian Murray
Labour
10.7% · 26 of 243 shared votes
-
Sarah Edwards
Labour
11.5% · 26 of 227 shared votes
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Luke Pollard
Labour (Co-op)
11.7% · 22 of 188 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
Emergency Services: Suicide
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many emergency workers have died by suicide each year since 2015.
Answer · 16 Jul 2026
Every suicide is a tragedy that has devastating and enduring impacts on families, friends and communities. The Government recognises the demanding nature of working in emergency settings, and that staff may require more complex mental wellbeing support du...
Water Supply
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the efficacy of an indirect potable reuse schemes for direct discharge to reservoirs as an environment buffer.
Answer · 14 Jul 2026
Indirect potable reuse (water recycling) uses an environmental buffer before abstracting water into drinking water treatment and supply. This environmental buffer can be a reservoir. There are few schemes in operation currently, but water recycling will p...
River Thames: Water Treatment
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the efficacy of an indirect potable reuse scheme which would take treated sewage from Mogden Sewage Treatment Works, process it using an advanced water
Answer · 14 Jul 2026
Water companies explore a wide range of options, and variants of those options, through the Water Resources Management Planning process. Many of these are not taken forward due to technical, practical, or cost considerations. Any new water recycling schem...
Water Abstraction: Teddington
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the cost per megalitre of water produced over an eighty-year lifespan of Teddington Direct River Abstraction.
Answer · 14 Jul 2026
The Teddington Direct River Abstraction (TDRA) project is being developed as a scheme intended to operate intermittently, during periods of drought, rather than as a continuously operating water supply source. The actual volume of water that TDRA may prov...
Water Supply: Greater London
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of indirect potable reuse schemes in improving London’s water supply resilience.
Answer · 14 Jul 2026
Water reuse (water recycling) plays a key role in helping to improve water supply resilience. Water companies have a statutory duty to provide a secure supply of water for customers and set out how they plan to continue to supply water to their customers ...
Visas: Turkey
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if artificial intelligence is used to assess ECAA applicants' extensions of their permissions to stay.
Answer · 9 Jul 2026
Artificial Intelligence is not used in applications made under Appendix ECAA for either indefinite leave to remain or further leave to remain.
Visas: Artificial Intelligence
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department uses Artificial Intelligence in its decision-making process to assess applicants' rights to obtain a visa.
Answer · 9 Jul 2026
Where appropriate we use AI to improve productivity and effectiveness in our public services. All applications made under the Immigration Rules are considered and decided by trained human decision-makers.
Heathrow Airport: Tolls
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department's report entitled Draft Heathrow expansion national policy statement, published on June 2026, page 54, what discussions she has had with the Major of London on potential congest
Answer · 29 Jun 2026
The Secretary of State has not met with the Mayor of London to discuss potential congestion charges to and from Heathrow Airport, in the context of Heathrow Expansion.
Early day motions
| 13 May 2026 | Proportional Representation for UK Elections | 33 sig. |
| 28 Apr 2026 | Sir David Attenborough's 100th birthday | 23 sig. |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Victims of the Pahalgam terrorist attack | 16 sig. |
| 26 Mar 2026 | Royal Mail's performance | 29 sig. |
| 19 Jan 2026 | Public health campaign on tackling stigma towards suicide | 51 sig. |
| 1 Sep 2025 | Police front counter closures | 14 sig. |
Speeches in the chamber
16 Jul 2026 British Steel
The Liberal Democrats supported the passage of the Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill, but we tabled amendments, in my name and in those of my hon. Friends, to increase the provision of scrutiny and transparency under the Bill. The Gove…
16 Jul 2026 Topical Questions
Earlier this year the Minister for roads, the hon. Member for Wakefield and Rothwell (Simon Lightwood), wrote to me to say that Hammersmith bridge in my constituency would be a suitable candidate for the structures fund, but Hammersmith an…
14 Jul 2026 Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill
We have a duty to stand by the steel sector, especially as it navigates unprecedented challenges, including President Trump’s unfair steel tariffs, China’s anti-competitive state aid practices, and the transition to environmentally sustain…
14 Jul 2026 Topical Questions
T3. Studies show that iodine deficiencies in pregnant women can result in complications for their children, including impaired foetal growth and psychomotor development. Recent studies have shown that iodine levels among women of reprod…
9 Jul 2026 Teddington Direct River Abstraction Proposal
Two months ago, Ham and Kingston riverside became the first site in London to gain bathing water status, but Thames Water’s ill-conceived Teddington direct river abstraction proposal will see treated sewage discharged into the Thames above…
9 Jul 2026 Teddington Direct River Abstraction Proposal
5. What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Teddington direct river abstraction proposal on the environment.
7 Jul 2026 Summer Jobs
My hon. Friend is, of course, entirely right. A youth mobility scheme would benefit not just young people who live in this country, but our businesses; it would allow them to recruit from across the EU, and obtain the short-term staff that…
7 Jul 2026 Summer Jobs
I am terribly sorry, Madam Deputy Speaker, but I did not hear all the hon. Gentleman’s intervention. He said something about unemployment in 2012. That was, of course, very soon after the global banking crash, which had a huge impact. T…
7 Jul 2026 Summer Jobs
I am sure that Members on both sides of the House have heard from businesses on their local high streets and throughout their constituencies about the challenges that they face from unaffordably high energy bills, the Government’s increas…
2 Jul 2026 Trade with Europe
Joining the single market and a customs union could boost UK GDP by about £25 billion a year. Single market membership would give the UK access to EU defence programmes, creating high-skilled jobs in aerospace, advanced manufacturing and d…
2 Jul 2026 Employment Rights Act 2025
Research by the British Retail Consortium found that over two thirds of part-time workers in the retail sector took the role because they needed flexibility around educational and caring commitments. The number of young people not in empl…
30 Jun 2026 Financial Inclusion: Young People
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir John. I congratulate the hon. Member for Hertford and Stortford (Josh Dean) on his work to secure this debate and his excellent opening remarks. The decline of high street services …
29 Jun 2026 Topical Questions
T4. One in 50 Londoners, including one in 21 children, are homeless and living in temporary accommodation. London boroughs are spending £5 million a day on temporary accommodation. Although housing costs have skyrocketed in the past 15 …
24 Jun 2026 Elections: First Past the Post
Thank you for your chairing the debate, Mr Turner. It is interesting that the majority of voices in the room have argued against first past the post, when all of us are here because we were elected under that system. That shows how even th…
24 Jun 2026 Elections: First Past the Post
In this place, we have recently changed the voting system for metropolitan mayors. Can the Minister comment on whether the voting system for the London Mayor will be changed before the 2028 London mayoral election?
24 Jun 2026 Elections: First Past the Post
I beg to move, That this House has considered the use of first-past-the-post in general and local elections. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Turner, and to be in an environment with such great air conditioning. …
23 Jun 2026 Topical Questions
T5. Today marks 10 years since the Brexit referendum. Since that date, we have had 10 Home Secretaries, nine Foreign Secretaries, eight Chancellors, seven Defence Secretaries and 6 Prime Ministers. Does the Chancellor agree that such in…
22 Jun 2026 Teacher Recruitment and Retention
A Public Accounts Committee report published last summer found that the Department for Education not only lacked a plan for recruiting the additional teachers that Labour pledged in its manifesto, but did not understand why teachers are le…
22 Jun 2026 Teacher Recruitment and Retention
9. What steps she is taking to recruit and retain teachers.
17 Jun 2026 Steel Tariffs
The steel sector is a vital UK industry. We must support it in the face of numerous challenges, including China’s unfair practices and Trump’s trade war, but I am extremely concerned about the impact on parts of the steel industry supply c…
Source: contributions on parliament.uk.
Full parliamentary career
Opposition posts
- Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Cabinet Office) · Opposition Department 18 Sep 2024 – 1 Oct 2025
- Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Treasury) · Opposition Department 11 Jul 2022 – 18 Sep 2024
- Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) · Opposition Department 6 Jan 2020 – 18 Sep 2024
- Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Transport) · Opposition Department 7 Sep 2020 – 10 Jul 2022
- Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (International Trade) · Opposition Department 6 Jan 2020 – 7 Sep 2020
Committee memberships
- Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill 15 Jan 2025 – 25 Mar 2025
- Public Accounts Committee 2 Mar 2020 – 30 May 2024
Previous seats
- Richmond Park · Elected 2 times 1 Dec 2016 – 30 May 2024
Elections contested
- Richmond Park 8 Jun 2017
Expenses
Contact & offices
020 7219 4821
Parliamentary office
House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
Constituency office
Constituency office
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Sarah Olney, answered from official Parliament data.
Who is Sarah Olney?
Sarah Olney is a Member of Parliament representing Richmond Park in the House of Commons. See Sarah Olney's official Parliament profile.
Which party does Sarah Olney represent?
Sarah Olney sits as Liberal Democrat. See Sarah Olney's official Parliament profile.
Which constituency does Sarah Olney represent?
Sarah Olney is the Member of Parliament for Richmond Park. See Sarah Olney's official Parliament profile.
How long has Sarah Olney been an MP?
Sarah Olney has served in the House of Commons for 6 years, 7 months. See Sarah Olney's official Parliament profile.
What registered interests are listed for Sarah Olney?
Sarah Olney has no entries in the Register of Members' Financial Interests. See Sarah Olney's official Parliament profile.
Source: this MP's official Parliament profile. Last updated 27 Jul 2026.