Tom Gordon, the Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, has reached a milestone 250 spoken contributions in Parliament, just over two years into his term.
The MP regularly takes part in debates and questions in the House of Commons, using parliamentary proceedings to raise issues affecting people in Harrogate, Knaresborough and across North Yorkshire.
Among the issues he has raised is the removal of time limits on disabled bus passes, for which he secured the Prime Minister’s support.
He has also used a 10 Minute Rule Bill presentation to introduce legislation aimed at addressing what he describes as unfair student finance repayments.
Mr Gordon has drawn on first-hand experiences of local residents, including people affected by the infected blood scandal and families dealing with SEND provision.
250 spoken contributions
According to parliamentary records, Mr Gordon has now passed the 250 mark for spoken contributions in the Commons. The official Parliament website notes that its contribution counts can be approximate, while Hansard provides a more comprehensive record of parliamentary contributions.
His office says the figure places him among the most active MPs in Parliament for debate participation, with MP Data ranking him 21st out of 650 MPs.
By comparison, former Conservative MP Andrew Jones made 140 spoken contributions in the final two years of his time as MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, according to the Hansard search supplied with the figures.
Using Parliament to raise local issues
Mr Gordon said spoken contributions were only one part of his role as an MP, but that parliamentary debates provided an important opportunity to bring local experiences into national discussions.
Spoken contributions are a fraction of the job. Between community events in North Yorkshire and meetings with charities or Ministers in London, and travel between the two, the time you spend speaking in the chamber can feel short- but it is crucial.
The mum who emails me about North Yorkshire’s school transport cuts has a vital experience that should be heard in the national debate. Being her voice is a pivotal part of the job.
I’m proud to have hit the 250 milestone- about 20 of which were about disabled bus passes. It just goes to show how those words can become actions that improve people’s lives.
Written questions
Mr Gordon has also used written parliamentary questions to seek information from Government departments.
His office says he has submitted 194 written questions since July 2024. The current UK Parliament member page lists 193, with the total continuing to change as new questions are submitted.
By comparison, Andrew Jones submitted 56 written questions during his time as an MP, according to the UK Parliament record.
Mr Gordon has said his parliamentary work is intended to give local residents a voice in Westminster, alongside his work in the constituency.