James MacCleary MP: votes, interests and costs
The Member of Parliament for Lewes is James MacCleary (Liberal Democrat). The Members API lists the post of Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Defence) from 1 October 2025.
Offices and committees
The Members API lists one current post for James MacCleary.
Ministerial and shadow posts
| Post | Department | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Defence) | Opposition Department | 1 October 2025 | Current |
Earlier ministerial and shadow posts
| Post | Department | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Europe) | Opposition Department | 18 September 2024 | 1 October 2025 |
Earlier committees
| Committee or post | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Finance Committee (Commons) | 28 October 2024 | 19 January 2026 |
Source: Parliament Members API, read 15 October 2026, SHA-256 d7feef98f2f0.
Register of interests
Entries in the register for James MacCleary, as the MP registered them: Gifts, benefits and hospitality from UK sources (2), Employment and earnings (2), Visits outside the UK (1), Miscellaneous (1). Latest registration 30 July 2026. Each entry is quoted as published, with its registration date; payments linked to an entry are listed under it.
Glyndebourne Enterprises Ltd - £360.00
- Whether the benefit was monetary or in kind: In kind
- Description of the payment: Tickets to attend a performance of Ariadne auf Naxos for myself and my partner
- Value of the benefit: £360.00
- Date on which the benefit was received: 2026-07-22
- Date on which the benefit was accepted: 2026-07-22
- Name of the donor: Glyndebourne Enterprises Ltd
- Status of the donor: Company
- Name of the donor company: Glyndebourne Enterprises Ltd
International visit to Italy between 24 October 2025 and 26 October 2025
- Purpose of the visit: To attend the Economic and Finance Conference by invitation
- Date Member left the UK: 2025-10-24
- Date Member returned to the UK: 2025-10-26
National Liberal Club Ltd - £1,578.50
- Whether the benefit was monetary or in kind: In kind
- Description of the payment: Honorary membership until the end of 2025, as a new Liberal Democrat MP
- Value of the benefit: £1,578.50
- Date on which the benefit was received: 2024-09-02
- Date on which the benefit was accepted: 2024-09-02
- End date, if the benefit was received over time: 2025-12-31
- Name of the donor: National Liberal Club Ltd
- Status of the donor: Company
Director of Newhaven Fishing Community Interest Company. This is an unpaid role.
- Date on which the interest arose, or became registrable: 2024-09-01
- The type of interest: Unpaid role
District Councillor - Lewes District Council
- Type of work or service being provided: District Councillor
- Date the agreement ended: 2026-05-07
- Name of the payer: Lewes District Council
- Agreement starting 02 May 2023 - £416.83
Councillor - East Sussex County Council
- Type of work or service being provided: Councillor
- Date the agreement ended: 2026-05-07
- Name of the payer: East Sussex County Council
- Agreement - £719.50
Source: Register of Members' Financial Interests API, read 28 October 2026. The register entry on UK Parliament.
Business costs (IPSA)
In 2024-25 James MacCleary's office spent £137,263 on staff, from a staffing budget of £185,538, according to IPSA. Office costs came to £23,445 of a £30,426 budget. Budgets for that year run from the MP's election on 4 July 2024, as IPSA's reason column states. IPSA publishes each budget, the amount spent and the amount left (the remaining amounts are in IPSA's files); no total across budgets is published, so none is given here.
| IPSA figure | 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| Staffing: spent | £137,262.56 |
| Office costs: spent | £23,445.26 |
| Accommodation: spent | £21,059.88 |
| Travel and subsistence (no cap): spent | £6,253.58 |
| Other costs (no cap): spent | £0.00 |
Budgets set for 2024-25: office costs £30,426, staffing £185,538, accommodation £31,549 (Standard non-London area budget from 5 July 2024, and a start-up supplement of £6,000; Standard non-London area budget from 5 July 2024; Standard budget for renting a property in the London area from 5 July 2024, with an uplift to cover the cost of two dependants).
IPSA's CSVs for 2024-25, read 15 October 2026; constituency as IPSA lists it: Lewes CC.
Staff roles listed by IPSA, 2024-25
Caseworker ×4 (permanent part time), Communications Officer (permanent part time), Senior Parliamentary Assistant (permanent full time), Caseworker (permanent full time), Office Manager (permanent full time), Personal Assistant (permanent part time), Intern (fixed term part time), Caseworker (fixed term part time) (IPSA CSV)
IPSA annual publications · All MPs' 2024-25 costs (table and CSV)
Votes in the Commons
The Commons Votes API records 380 votes by James MacCleary in divisions since 4 July 2024. Of these, 32 were votes on statutory instruments or procedural motions, which are not listed below. The latest 30 votes on bills and motions are below, from 17 June 2026 to 19 October 2026. The most recent, on 19 October 2026, was an Aye on "Northern Ireland Troubles Bill Committee: New Clause 21".
Source: Commons Votes API, read 28 October 2026. Only divisions in which a vote is recorded for the MP are counted. The full list on UK Parliament.
Written questions
The Written Questions API lists 633 written questions from James MacCleary since 4 July 2024. Departments in the latest 10: Ministry of Defence; Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Reserve Forces: Women
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what was the net increase in the number of women joining the Reserves in each year since 2015.
Marines: Women
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what was the net increase in the number of women joining the Royal Marines in each year since 2015.
Navy: Women
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what was the net increase in the number of women joining the Royal Navy in each year since 2015.
Army: Women
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what was the net increase in the number of women joining the British Army in each year since 2015.
Air Force: Women
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what was the net increase in the number of women joining the Royal Air Force in each year since 2015.
Type 23 Frigates: Costs
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average annual running cost is of a Type 23 frigate.
Type 45 Destroyers: Costs
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average annual running cost is of a Type 45 destroyer.
Vegetable Oils and Fertilisers: Imports
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to reduce the UK's reliance on imported (a) soy, (b) palm oil and (c) phosphorus fertiliser, with reference to the national security assessment on global biodiversit …
Environment Protection: National Security
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government plans to raise the national security implications of ecosystem collapse at (a) the United Nations Security Council (b) NATO (c) the Council of Europe ( …
Food Supply
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to increase UK food system and supply chain resilience, with reference to the national security assessment on global biodiversity loss, ecosystem co …
Source: Written Questions API, read 15 October 2026, SHA-256 198151843835. Question wording as listed by the API, which gives the opening words of longer questions. All questions by James MacCleary.
2024 general election
At the 4 July 2024 general election Lewes returned James MacCleary with a majority of 12,624: 26,895 votes, 50.6% of those cast, against 14,271 for Maria Caulfield. Result as published: LD gain from Con.
Commons Library results, read 14 October 2026 · Lewes figures
Built 15 October 2026 from official records; register entries and votes are re-read on a rolling schedule. This page sets out what the record shows and gives no rating of the MP. Official UK Parliament page · All MPs · Something wrong? Tell us.