Member of Parliament
Michael Shanks
Labour MP for Rutherglen
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
At a glanceMichael Shanks is a Labour MP for Rutherglen, and has represented the seat for 2 years, 9 months. They currently serve as Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero). They have cast 355 votes in Commons divisions (62% attendance), tabled 12 written questions and registered 4 financial interests.
Attendance is votes cast as a share of the 575 Commons divisions since the 2024 election; Michael Shanks did not vote in 220. 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 Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero).
Current roles
- Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero) Government post · Department for Energy Security and Net Zero since 6 Sep 2025
- Rutherglen Representation · Elected 1 time since 4 Jul 2024
- Labour Party since 5 Oct 2023
Voting record
Voting alignment
Votes most like
-
Sean Woodcock
Labour
100.0% · 346 of 346 shared votes
-
Sojan Joseph
Labour
100.0% · 346 of 346 shared votes
-
Lola McEvoy
Labour
100.0% · 342 of 342 shared votes
-
Liz Twist
Labour
100.0% · 341 of 341 shared votes
-
Laurence Turner
Labour
100.0% · 335 of 335 shared votes
Votes least like
-
David Davis
Conservative
0.0% · 0 of 185 shared votes
-
Chris Philp
Conservative
0.4% · 1 of 240 shared votes
-
Victoria Atkins
Conservative
0.5% · 1 of 221 shared votes
-
George Freeman
Conservative
0.5% · 1 of 198 shared votes
-
Kevin Hollinrake
Conservative
0.9% · 2 of 225 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.
Miscellaneous4
- A trustee of Epilepsy Scotland. This is an unpaid role. (registered 1 Nov 2023)
- A trustee of Interfaith Glasgow. This is an unpaid role. (registered 1 Nov 2023)
- A trustee of Glasgow Disabled Scouts. This is an unpaid role. (registered 1 Nov 2023)
- A member of General Teaching Council for Scotland. This is an unpaid role. (registered 1 Nov 2023)
Written questions
Highway Code
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the level of public awareness of changes to the highway code made in 2022.
Answer · 16 May 2024
The January 2022 changes to The Highway Code to help improve road safety for people walking, cycling and horse riding have been communicated via a factual awareness raising campaign and broader behaviour change campaigns. Over £2.4million has been spent o...
Treasury: Correspondence
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to ensure the adequacy of response times for ministerial correspondence.
Answer · 16 May 2024
The Government attaches great importance to the effective and timely handling of correspondence. Ministers and officials are committed to providing the highest level of service. The Cabinet Office publishes correspondence performance data on GOV.UK on a r...
Armed Conflict: Food Insecurity
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of trends in the level of conflicts resulting from global food insecurity.
Answer · 30 Apr 2024
Hunger has many causes, but conflict is a major driver and amplifier behind ten of the largest food crises in the past year. In turn, competition for resources such as land, food and water contribute to instability. Our Development White Paper sets out ou...
UNRWA
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, with reference to the oral contribution of 15 April 2024 by the Prime Minister, Official Report, column 37, whether he plans to publish the interim findings of the UN review into UNRWA .
Answer · 24 Apr 2024
We are aware that the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services and Catherine Colonna have now provided their interim reports to the UN Secretary-General.The UN Secretary-General has not published these interim reports.
Vladimir Kara-Murza
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 20 November 2023 to Question 1784 on Vladimir Kara-Murza, what progress his Department has made on securing the release of Vladimir Kara-Murza; and what
Answer · 19 Mar 2024
The Government has consistently condemned Vladimir Kara-Murza's politically motivated conviction and called for his release since his arrest. The Foreign Secretary met Mr Kara-Murza's wife and mother on 1 March to discuss our approach. We continue to rais...
Hamas: UNRWA
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent discussions he has had with the (a) UN Office of Internal Oversight and (b) Catherine Colonna of the independent Review Group appointed by the UN Secretary-General on
Answer · 20 Mar 2024
We are aware that the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services has released an interim report to the UN Secretary-General. We are pressing Catherine Colonna to produce a rapid interim report on the investigation into UNRWA's neutrality.We are working with...
UNRWA: Finance
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, when he plans to decide whether to reinstate funding for UNRWA.
Answer · 20 Mar 2024
We are appalled by allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel, a heinous act of terrorism that the UK Government has repeatedly condemned.We are aware that the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services has released an...
UNRWA: Finance
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his (a) Swedish and (b) Canadian counterpart on the decision of those countries to resume funding for UNRWA.
Answer · 20 Mar 2024
We are appalled by allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel, a heinous act of terrorism that the UK Government has repeatedly condemned.We are aware that the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services has released an...
Speeches in the chamber
15 Jul 2026 National Energy System Operator: Blackout Risk
I am disappointed, Madam Deputy Speaker. I heard that the hon. Gentleman rapped some of his speech in a Westminster Hall debate today, so I am disappointed that he did not do a rap in his question. He is a man of many talents, but he has d…
15 Jul 2026 National Energy System Operator: Blackout Risk
The hon. Gentleman asks a number of important questions about the role of data centres in the future of the country. First, there is a real opportunity if we get this right, but I take his challenge about properly planning where they shoul…
15 Jul 2026 National Energy System Operator: Blackout Risk
First of all, investment is necessary to bring down the costs in the long term. We are currently paying to constrain the renewables that are generating often much more electricity day after day than we are able to get to homes and business…
15 Jul 2026 National Energy System Operator: Blackout Risk
First of all, I did not brush anything off. I gave a very serious answer and said I would follow up with the individual distribution owner to resolve the issue. I said what I hope will be pretty obvious to everyone: that there are faults i…
15 Jul 2026 National Energy System Operator: Blackout Risk
First, no, I am not concerned, because other tools can be deployed to ensure that need is met, and they are being taken forward. Secondly, if the hon. Member looked at the disruption caused by the weather, he would see that a significant p…
15 Jul 2026 National Energy System Operator: Blackout Risk
First, whistleblowers are protected under legislation, and rightly so. That is important, and we have reiterated to all those involved in this incident that they are protected in law from their employers when coming forward with allegation…
15 Jul 2026 National Energy System Operator: Blackout Risk
First, I am not going to comment on leaks from internal conversations that may or may not have happened. I was not in the meeting, so I am not going to comment. On the right hon. Member’s point about the review’s independence, I do not …
15 Jul 2026 National Energy System Operator: Blackout Risk
I almost thought my hon. Friend had asked a question without mentioning Harlow, but we got there in the end. I am afraid I cannot give him a specific answer about the work we are doing on the grid in Harlow, but I can confirm that we will …
15 Jul 2026 National Energy System Operator: Blackout Risk
There was a lot there, but I am sorry that the hon. Gentleman is not happy to see me at the Dispatch Box. I am very happy to see him in his place, and to be here to answer this important urgent question. On security of supply, let me say t…
15 Jul 2026 National Energy System Operator: Blackout Risk
I agree with my hon. Friend 100%—as, I hear, does the shadow Minister. This is one of those rare areas where I think we do have complete consensus—well, maybe not complete consensus, but widespread consensus—across the House. Nuclear is…
15 Jul 2026 National Energy System Operator: Blackout Risk
I congratulate my hon. Friend on getting a question about nuclear into this, and she is absolutely right.
15 Jul 2026 National Energy System Operator: Blackout Risk
I think we are probably speaking at cross-purposes. I suspect that when the shadow Secretary of State refers to blackouts, she means a national power outage rather than supply disruption, which does happen. I cannot give a guarantee that t…
15 Jul 2026 National Energy System Operator: Blackout Risk
I thank my hon. Friend for both of his questions. On the first, he is right to imply that it is good that the vast majority of the public do not think about the electricity system at all when they switch things on or off. That is the syste…
15 Jul 2026 National Energy System Operator: Blackout Risk
The right hon. Gentleman asks a number of questions. On his point about the governance of NESO, I engage with its chair but also with the Government’s independent director. NESO is regulated by the independent regulator, Ofgem, which has r…
15 Jul 2026 National Energy System Operator: Blackout Risk
In the past two years, during which I have had the privilege of doing this job, my hon. Friend has frequently shared her experiences as an electrical engineer, and she is right. I, too, am in awe of the grid and of the work that its operat…
15 Jul 2026 National Energy System Operator: Blackout Risk
It is right and proper that we are talking about this issue, but I can assure the hon. Gentleman that there is absolutely no complacency on my part or that of the Government. I take my responsibilities incredibly seriously, as do NESO and …
15 Jul 2026 National Energy System Operator: Blackout Risk
Yes, I agree. At the risk of repeating myself, electricity supplies were maintained throughout this period. Tight margins were caused by unprecedented warm weather—as I think we can all testify, having lived through it that week—and we wer…
15 Jul 2026 National Energy System Operator: Blackout Risk
I pay tribute to the right hon. Gentleman, and to all who were involved in that incredibly important exercise. I was not aware of it at all until I came into this job and read the full report, as well as the breakdown of all the actions th…
15 Jul 2026 National Energy System Operator: Blackout Risk
I thank my hon. Friend for the way in which he has framed his remarks. He is right to say that these are incredibly serious allegations, and we take them with the seriousness with which they should be taken and will take on board any lesso…
15 Jul 2026 National Energy System Operator: Blackout Risk
The hon. Gentleman has made a number of important points. The terms of reference are available on Ofgem’s website for the inquiry that NESO has commissioned an independent law firm to carry out. It will conduct interviews with staff who we…
Source: contributions on parliament.uk.
Full parliamentary career
Government posts
- Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero) · Department for Energy Security and Net Zero 9 Jul 2024 – 6 Sep 2025
Opposition posts
- Shadow Minister (Scotland) · Scotland Office 28 Nov 2023 – 30 May 2024
Committee memberships
- Planning and Infrastructure Bill 24 Apr 2025 – 22 May 2025
- Great British Energy Bill 11 Sep 2024 – 15 Oct 2024
- Scottish Affairs Committee 22 Jan 2024 – 30 May 2024
Previous seats
- Rutherglen and Hamilton West · Elected 1 time 5 Oct 2023 – 30 May 2024
Elections contested
- Glasgow North West 8 Jun 2017
Expenses
Contact & offices
0141 319 8998
Parliamentary office
House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
Constituency office
Aspire Business Centre, 16 Farmeloan Road, Rutherglen, G73 1JL
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Michael Shanks, answered from official Parliament data.
Who is Michael Shanks?
Michael Shanks is a Member of Parliament representing Rutherglen in the House of Commons. See Michael Shanks's official Parliament profile.
Which party does Michael Shanks represent?
Michael Shanks sits as Labour. See Michael Shanks's official Parliament profile.
Which constituency does Michael Shanks represent?
Michael Shanks is the Member of Parliament for Rutherglen. See Michael Shanks's official Parliament profile.
How long has Michael Shanks been an MP?
Michael Shanks has served in the House of Commons for 2 years, 9 months. See Michael Shanks's official Parliament profile.
What registered interests are listed for Michael Shanks?
Michael Shanks has 4 entries in the Register of Members' Financial Interests. See Michael Shanks's official Parliament profile.
Source: this MP's official Parliament profile. Last updated 26 Jul 2026.