
Melanie Ward
Labour MP for Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy
Won with 45.7% · Majority: 7,248
The Verdict
You'd struggle to find a vote where this MP put their constituents ahead of the party line. The voting record speaks for itself.
Subject Grades
How Melanie scored on each issue. Tap any subject for the individual votes.
Civil Liberties
0 kept · 2 broke
Won with 45.7% of the vote, majority of 7,248
Cost of Living
0 kept · 7 broke
NHS & Health
0 kept · 1 broke · 3 missed
Housing
0 kept · 3 broke
Environment
0 kept · 4 broke
Immigration
0 kept · 3 broke
Workers' Rights
0 kept · 2 broke · 1 missed
Won with 45.7% of the vote, majority of 7,248
Welfare & Benefits
1 kept · 6 broke · 2 missed
3,135 children in poverty in this constituency (19.7%)
Follow the Money
What Melanie claims, earns, and receives — compared to how they vote on the issues affecting their constituents.
Expense Breakdown
The Broken Promise
Voted to strip £300/year heating help from 10 million pensioners
Voted to keep the two-child benefit cap — 3,135 children live in poverty in their constituency
Blocked stronger sewage penalties — including £1k from Great Britain China Centre
Voted to scrap jury trials — removing an 800-year-old right that protects ordinary citizens
Registered Interests
4. Visits outside the UK(4 entries)£12k
Qatar
Paid by: Doha Forum
Name of donor: Doha Forum Address of donor: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Almirqab Tower, West Bay, Doha, Qatar Estimate of the probable value (or amount of any donation): Flights (£5,555), accommodation and meals (£402), value £5,957 Destination of visit: Qatar Dates of visit: 5 December 2025 to 8 December 2025 Purpose of visit: To participate in the Doha Forum 2025 on diplomacy, dialogue and diversity, including meetings with fellow cross-party parliamentarians, political representations of other countries and Qatari ministers to discuss Qatar’s role in seeking to resolve current regional conflicts. (Registered 19 December 2025)
United States (New York)
Paid by: Stiftung Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz gGmbH
Name of donor: Stiftung Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz gGmbH Address of donor: Karolinenplatz 3, 80333 Munich, Germany Estimate of the probable value (or amount of any donation): Flights (£1807.22), accommodation (£1141.58), meals (£233.28), additional meals and transport (estimated value £300), value £3,482.08 Destination of visit: United States (New York) Dates of visit: 17 September 2025 to 21 September 2025 Purpose of visit: Participation in Annual Meeting of Women Parliamentarians Programme run by the Munich Security Conference Foundation. (Registered 13 October 2025)
Saudi Arabia (AlUla)
Paid by: Stiftung Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz gGmbH
Name of donor: Stiftung Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz gGmbH Address of donor: Karolinenplatz 3, 80333 Munich, Germany Estimate of the probable value (or amount of any donation): Flights (£1148.85), accommodation (£697.17), meals and transport (estimated value £400), value £2,246.02 Destination of visit: Saudi Arabia (AlUla) Dates of visit: 30 September 2025 to 3 October 2025 Purpose of visit: Participation in Munich Leaders Meeting on the Middle East, run by the Munich Security Conference Foundation. (Registered 23 October 2025)
Germany (Munich)
Paid by: Stiftung Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz gGmbH
Name of donor: Stiftung Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz gGmbH Address of donor: Karolinenplatz 3, 80333 Munich, Germany Estimate of the probable value (or amount of any donation): Conference attendance, accommodation and some meals, value £681 Destination of visit: Germany (Munich) Dates of visit: 13 February 2025 to 16 February 2025 Purpose of visit: Attendance at the Munich Security Conference as part of the Women Parliamentarians Programme. (Registered 6 March 2025)
3. Gifts, benefits and hospitality from UK sources(2 entries)£2k
Great Britain China Centre
Name of donor: Great Britain China Centre Address of donor: Kings Buildings, Smith Square, London, SW1P 3HQ Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: Costs of a residential course attended by a member of my staff (Great Britain China Centre is a non-departmental body of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office), value £1,350 Date received: 22 July 2025 to 25 July 2025 Date accepted: 22 July 2025 Donor status: company, registration 01196043 (Registered 21 August 2025)
Great Britain China Centre
Name of donor: Great Britain China Centre Address of donor: Kings Buildings, Smith Square, London SW1P 3HQ Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: Cost of a two-day non-residential course in London attended by a member of staff (Great Britain China Centre is a non-departmental body of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office), value £1,100 Date received: 6 November 2025 to 7 November 2025 Date accepted: 6 November 2025 Donor status: company, registration 01196043 (Registered 24 November 2025)
Sources: IPSA 2024-25, Register of Members' Financial Interests (Parliament API)
Every Penny: Melanie's Expenses
178 individual claims totalling £228,031.66 since this parliament opened (July 2024). Click any category to see exactly where the money went, down to every receipt. Items marked “LUMP SUM” are bundled by IPSA (mainly travel) — they won't break these down further.
Staffing(8 claims)£146,466.73
Payroll(1)£123,316.73
Bought-in services(7)£23,150.00
Office Costs(135 claims)£41,618.98
Stationery & printing(46)£7,582.34
Rent(10)£7,161.92
Equipment - purchase(9)£5,598.63
Advertising and contact cards(9)£4,940.21
Moving Fees(1)£4,130.00
Software & applications(12)£3,788.56
Maintenance, Redecorations & Repairs(7)£3,375.25
Utilities(12)£1,587.11
Bought-in services(2)£1,442.64
Venue hire, meetings & surgeries(12)£666.75
Cleaning services(7)£655.00
Business rates(2)£258.32
Waste disposal, confidential waste & rubbish collection(2)£203.19
Insurance - contents(1)£127.45
Landline phone & internet - rental & usage(1)£96.01
Newspapers, journals, magazines(2)£5.60
Accommodation(23 claims)£16,557.06
Rent(10)£11,050.40
Council tax(5)£5,036.37
Utilities(4)£300.34
Landline phone & internet - rental & usage(4)£169.95
MP Travel(4 claims)£13,502.24
Air travel(1)£11,784.77
Parking(1)£714.89
Rail(1)£634.47
Vehicle hire cost(1)£368.11
Staff Travel(5 claims)£4,948.00
Hotel - London(1)£2,496.00
Air travel(1)£1,567.46
Rail(1)£814.00
Parking(1)£39.99
Subsistence(1)£30.55
Dependant Travel(3 claims)£4,938.65
Air travel(2)£4,541.15
Rail(1)£397.50
Source: IPSA Individual Business Costs 2024-25 — every claim published under the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009
Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy: The Real Impact
The people Melanie was elected to represent — and how they voted on the issues that affect them most.
Sources: DWP FYE 2024, DESNZ 2023, Census 2021, Election 2024