Portrait of Patrick Spencer

Member of Parliament

Patrick Spencer

Independent MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich

At a glancePatrick Spencer is a Independent MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, and has represented the seat for 2 years. They have cast 402 votes in Commons divisions (70% attendance), tabled 135 written questions and registered 7 financial interests.

Votes cast402
Attendance70%
Voted Aye186
Voted No216

Attendance is votes cast as a share of the 575 Commons divisions since the 2024 election; Patrick Spencer did not vote in 173.

Biographyfrom Parliament
Patrick Spencer is the Independent MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, and has been an MP continually since 4 July 2024.
Current roles2 held
  • Independent Party since 13 May 2025
  • Central Suffolk and North Ipswich Representation · Elected 1 time since 4 Jul 2024
Voting recordlatest 15 shown
15 Jul 2026 Draft Trade Unions (Permissible Means of Voting) and Employment Rights (Unfair Dismissal) (Amendment) Order 2026 No
15 Jul 2026 Draft Code of Practice on Electronic and Workplace Ballots for Statutory Trade Union Ballots No
14 Jul 2026 Public Office (Accountability) Bill Report Stage: Amendment 19 Rebelled Aye
14 Jul 2026 Public Office (Accountability) Bill Report Stage: Amendment 199 Rebelled Aye
13 Jul 2026 Immigration and Asylum Bill: Reasoned Amendment to Second Reading Rebelled Aye
8 Jul 2026 Draft Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 (Establishment of Schools) (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2026 No
8 Jul 2026 Draft Supply of Machinery (Safety) (Amendment etc.) and the EU Machinery Regulation (Enforcement etc. in Northern Ireland) Regulations 2026 No
8 Jul 2026 Draft Town and Country Planning (Discharge of Local Planning Authority Functions) (England) Regulations 2026 No
7 Jul 2026 Opposition Day: Early release of prisoners Aye
6 Jul 2026 National Security (State Threats) Bill: motion to agree to Lords Amendment 1 Rebelled No
1 Jul 2026 Taxation (Energy and Vehicles) Bill Committee: New Clause 5 Aye
1 Jul 2026 Taxation (Energy and Vehicles) Bill Committee: New Clause 4 Aye
1 Jul 2026 Draft Employment Tribunal (Extension of Time Limits) (Miscellaneous Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2026 No
1 Jul 2026 Draft Employment Tribunals Extension of Jurisdiction (England and Wales) (Amendment) Order 2026 No
24 Jun 2026 Draft Climate Change Act 2008 (Credit Limit) Order 2026 Rebelled No

See full voting record

Register of financial interests7 entries

From the official Register; shown as registered.

Land and property (within or outside the UK)2
  • Property in Suffolk (registered 17 Jul 2024)
  • Property in London (registered 11 Jul 2024)
Shareholdings2
  • Shares in Suffolk Ventures Limited (registered 11 Jul 2024)
  • Shares in IPGL (registered 11 Jul 2024)
Miscellaneous3
  • Unpaid Director, Suffolk Ventures Limited. (registered 22 Jul 2024)
  • Unpaid Director, Blue WV Limited. (registered 22 Jul 2024)
  • Governor, Hollesley Waldringfield Partnership. This is an unpaid role. (registered 17 Jul 2024)

Source: Register of Interests on parliament.uk.

Written questions135 tabled
Roads: Finance 26 Jun 2026 · Department for Transport

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 25 June 2026 to question 11989, if she will provide further information relating to plans to review the funding formula for capital funding to local highways authorities; when the revi

Answer · 30 Jun 2026

Highways maintenance block allocations have been made up to and including financial year 2029/30.The Department has not yet set a date for the review. It will be important to ensure that the review takes place close to the point that allocations for 2030/...

Flood Control: Central Suffolk and North Ipswich 26 Jun 2026 · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what Natural Flood Management projects are currently funded by the Environment Agency within Central Suffolk and North Ipswich constituency; what their total value is; and what evidenc

Answer · 2 Jul 2026

The Anglian Eastern Regional Flood Coastal Committee has a Local Levy funding stream for Risk Management Authorities to support delivery of Natural Flood Management (NFM) projects. Successfully funded projects within the constituency include:Parham NFM £6...

Solar Power 25 Jun 2026 · Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what proportion of the capacity required to meet the 47GW solar target by 2030 will come from (a) rooftop installations, (b) brownfield and previously developed land and (c) greenfield develo

Answer · 3 Jul 2026

The Government has not set discrete targets for rooftop and ground-mounted solar by 2030. However, modelling suggests that, even in the most ambitious scenarios, only up to 0.4% of UK land (0.6% of agricultural land) would be devoted to solar in 2030. Pla...

Flood Control: Central Suffolk and North Ipswich 25 Jun 2026 · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the new flood funding policy will change the Government Outcome Rate threshold that schemes in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich constituency must meet to qualify for Environme

Answer · 30 Jun 2026

In October 2025, following consultation, the government announced major changes to its flood and coastal erosion funding policy. The reforms will make it quicker and easier to deliver the right flood defences in the right places by simplifying our funding...

Roads: Rural Areas 22 Jun 2026 · Department for Transport

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the highways maintenance block formula on rural counties such as Suffolk.

Answer · 25 Jun 2026

Every area faces its own unique challenges. That is why highways maintenance funding is based on established national datasets like road lengths, to help make the system as fair as possible across the country.The Government plans to review the funding for...

Local Government: Suffolk 22 Jun 2026 · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what process will determine the final geographic boundaries of the three new unitary authorities in Suffolk; who will conduct that process; and what the timetable is for its comp

Answer · 29 Jun 2026

The final geographic boundaries of the three new unitary authorities in Suffolk have been decided by the Secretary of State who has announced that he will exercise his power to modify the base proposal received from West Suffolk, Babergh, Mid Suffolk, Eas...

Solar Power: Planning Permission 22 Jun 2026 · Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether independent Agricultural Land Classification surveys conducted by a qualified soil scientist are a mandatory requirement before solar farm applications on potential BMV land are deter

Answer · 30 Jun 2026

Agricultural Land Classification surveys are typically conducted using existing site survey reports, where available. Where this isn’t the case, the developer commissions a new survey, which should be conducted by soil scientists, or experienced soil spec...

Flood Control: Central Suffolk and North Ipswich 22 Jun 2026 · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which flood defence schemes are included in the capital programme for flood and coastal erosion risk management in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich constituency for 2026-2036; and wha

Answer · 26 Jun 2026

This Government is investing at least £10.5 billion until 2036 to construct new flood schemes and repair existing defences, protecting communities from the devastating impacts of climate change. Through the largest flood programme in history, this record ...

See all written questions

Speeches in the chamber82 on record

27 Feb 2025   Topical Questions

We heard about the financial crisis facing football earlier, but there is also one facing Rugby Football Union. No one likes the RFU, not least because of the whopping bonuses that it hands out. Can the Secretary of State please let me kno…

27 Feb 2025   Rural Crime

It is wonderful to see you in your place, Ms McVey. I credit the hon. Member for North Cornwall (Ben Maguire) for securing this debate. I represent a predominantly rural constituency with low crime rates. Those low crime rates have been…

27 Feb 2025   Rural Crime

The hon. Gentleman is making an interesting point about fly-tipping as an issue of organised crime. I suppose that Opposition Members would also include casual littering in the same bracket. We see that every day in towns and villages, but…

25 Feb 2025   SEND Education Support

For those who do not know, the hon. Lady is my constituency neighbour in Suffolk, and I think she is doing a fantastic job of highlighting the complexities faced by people such as Jacob and Tiffany—I see them in my inbox too. She has done …

24 Feb 2025   Rural Crime

Policing in rural areas is increasingly complex, but rural constabularies receive much less funding than inner-city ones. I know the Minister will jump on this opportunity to complain about the last Government, but will she at least take a…

6 Feb 2025   Attorney General's Office: Transparency and Conflicts of Interest

My constituents in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich are decent, tolerant and thoughtful people, but they are left wondering how the Prime Minister has appointed an Attorney General who is a friend and a Labour party donor as well as someo…

6 Feb 2025   Attorney General's Office: Transparency and Conflicts of Interest

10. What steps she is taking to manage conflicts of interest in the Attorney General’s Office.

6 Feb 2025   Water Company Executives: Accountability

Essex and Suffolk Water has issued a moratorium on commercial businesses pulling water out of the ground, which it says is due to the Environment Agency. The problem is that water-intensive businesses need water to grow. Aspall in my const…

4 Feb 2025   Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Tenth sitting)

I had a long speech prepared, but it does not include Keats, Semmelweis or Callaghan, so I will cut it short. Teachers want to be trusted to teach, to read their class and to choose what to teach, when to teach and how to teach it. My conc…

4 Feb 2025   Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Ninth sitting)

The hon. Gentleman just made two different statements, so can he clarify what he means?

4 Feb 2025   Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Ninth sitting)

I did not hear that, but I am sure it was one of the hon. Gentleman’s funnier comments.

4 Feb 2025   Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Ninth sitting)

The hon. Gentleman has just made two completely different statements. He said, “I will send my children to a school that will deliver an outstanding education that is right for them,” while simultaneously saying, “Ah, but this is about mak…

4 Feb 2025   Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Ninth sitting)

I will not bore everyone with another rendition of the credit of non-QTS teachers. I will just say that I spent Friday at Debenham high school. When I spoke to the headteacher, he sighed in frustration at suddenly having to look down the b…

4 Feb 2025   Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Ninth sitting)

Can my right hon. Friend answer me this question? Which is better, an English graduate, with QTS, teaching maths in a primary or secondary school, or a maths graduate, without QTS, teaching maths in a primary or secondary school?

4 Feb 2025   Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Ninth sitting)

If the hon. Member takes a moment later today to listen to the Secretary of State’s interview on “The News Agents” podcast, Emily Maitlis said, “You can have a terrible teacher with qualified status, but a fantastic teacher who is not qual…

4 Feb 2025   Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Ninth sitting)

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

4 Feb 2025   Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Ninth sitting)

Does the Minister expect the number of misconduct hearings and cases brought where teachers are subject to potential dismissal to increase considerably? I am concerned that the consequences of the Bill will be huge for many schools and tha…

4 Feb 2025   Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Ninth sitting)

Let me state on the record that I have not met a single teacher who has not received some form of vexatious complaint at one point in their career. I hope, therefore, that the Minister will speak to this issue when he responds. The Bill…

3 Feb 2025   Winter Fuel Payment: Pensioner Poverty

There is no doubt that the cut to the winter fuel payment has hit Suffolk hard. NHS Suffolk reported that 97% of beds were occupied over the Christmas period due to a spike in cold, flu and pneumonia-like symptoms. Kesgrave community centr…

3 Feb 2025   Winter Fuel Payment: Pensioner Poverty

7. What assessment she has made of the potential impact of means-testing the winter fuel payment on levels of pensioner poverty.

Source: contributions on parliament.uk.

Full parliamentary career6 past posts

Committee memberships

  • Education Committee 21 Oct 2024 – 30 Jun 2025
  • Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (Transfer of Functions etc) Bill [HL] 5 Mar 2025 – 20 Mar 2025
  • Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill 15 Jan 2025 – 11 Feb 2025
  • Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Bill 4 Dec 2024 – 12 Dec 2024

Elections contested

  • West Ham 8 Jun 2017

Party affiliation

  • Conservative 4 Jul 2024 – 13 May 2025

Source: parliamentary career on parliament.uk.

Expenses£32,991 · 2025/26
Staffing£22,167
Office Costs£10,824

See every line item

Source: IPSA (OGL v3.0)

Contact & offices[email protected]

[email protected]

Parliamentary office

House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Patrick Spencer, answered from official Parliament data.

Who is Patrick Spencer?

Patrick Spencer is a Member of Parliament representing Central Suffolk and North Ipswich in the House of Commons. See Patrick Spencer's official Parliament profile.

Which party does Patrick Spencer represent?

Patrick Spencer sits as Independent. See Patrick Spencer's official Parliament profile.

Which constituency does Patrick Spencer represent?

Patrick Spencer is the Member of Parliament for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich. See Patrick Spencer's official Parliament profile.

How long has Patrick Spencer been an MP?

Patrick Spencer has served in the House of Commons for 2 years. See Patrick Spencer's official Parliament profile.

What registered interests are listed for Patrick Spencer?

Patrick Spencer has 7 entries in the Register of Members' Financial Interests. See Patrick Spencer's official Parliament profile.

Source: this MP's official Parliament profile. Last updated 26 Jul 2026.