Jim Shannon, MP for Strangford
Jim Shannon has been an MP since 2010. Currently: Secure 16 to 19 Academies Bill; Space Industry (Indemnities) Bill.
Roles and committees
Posts held in government or opposition, and committee seats, as Parliament records them.
In opposition
| Post | When | |
|---|---|---|
| Shadow DUP Spokesperson (Human Rights) (Opposition Department) | 2017 to 2024 | |
| Shadow DUP Spokesperson (Health) (Opposition Department) | 2015 to 2024 | |
| Shadow DUP Spokesperson (Transport) (Opposition Department) | 2015 to 2017 | |
| Shadow DUP Spokesperson (Equality) (Opposition Department) | 2015 to 2017 | |
| Shadow DUP Spokesperson (Human Rights) (Opposition Department) | 2012 to 2015 | |
| Shadow DUP Spokesperson (Health) (Opposition Department) | 2010 to 2015 | |
| Shadow DUP Spokesperson (Transport) (Opposition Department) | 2010 to 2015 |
Committees
| Post | When | |
|---|---|---|
| Secure 16 to 19 Academies Bill | 2025 | |
| Courts (Remote Hearings) Bill | 2025 | |
| Secure 16 to 19 Academies Bill | 2025 to now | Now |
| Space Industry (Indemnities) Bill | 2025 to now | Now |
| Local Government (Pay Accountability) Bill | 2024 | |
| Courts (Remote Hearings) Bill | 2024 | |
| School Attendance (Duties of Local Authorities and Proprietors of Schools) Bill | 2024 | |
| Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief Bill (Formerly known as International Freedom of Religion or Belief Bill) | 2024 |
Show the other 14
| Post | When | |
|---|---|---|
| Zoological Society of London (Leases) Bill | 2024 | |
| Pet Abduction Bill | 2024 | |
| Northern Ireland Affairs Committee | 2023 to 2024 | |
| Pension Schemes (Conversion of Guaranteed Minimum Pensions) Bill | 2022 | |
| Motor Vehicles (Compulsory Insurance) Bill | 2021 to 2022 | |
| Approved Premises (Substance Testing) Bill | 2021 | |
| Local Government (Disqualification) Bill | 2021 | |
| Cultural Objects (Protection From Seizure) Bill | 2021 | |
| Ecclesiastical Committee | 2020 to 2024 | |
| Northern Ireland Affairs Committee | 2017 to 2019 | |
| Northern Ireland Affairs Committee | 2016 to 2017 | |
| Committees on Arms Export Controls | 2016 to 2017 | |
| Defence Sub-Committee | 2015 to 2016 | |
| Defence Committee | 2015 to 2016 |
Countries of interest
Political Interests
Source: UK Parliament Members API · Parliament’s own page
Declared interests
MPs must publish certain paid work, gifts, donations and other interests. This is a record of what they declared, not a suggestion that anything is wrong.
Jim Shannon has 3 interests currently registered.
| Type | What was registered | Registered |
|---|---|---|
| Visits outside the UK | International visit to Iraq between 15 February 2026 and 20 February 2026 | 5 Mar 2026 |
| Land and property (within or outside the UK) | Agricultural in Ballygarvin | 31 May 2021 |
| Land and property (within or outside the UK) | Residential in no location provided | – |
Source: Register of Members’ Financial Interests · Parliament’s own page
Questions
MPs can ask ministers questions in writing. The questions show what an MP is working on, which votes cannot.
Jim Shannon asked 1135 written questions in the last 12 months.
Who they asked
Latest questions
Source: Written Questions API · Updated 4 Oct 2026
Expenses
MPs claim back money for running an office and working in two places. An independent body, IPSA, publishes every claim. This is what was paid in 2025-26.
95 claims. For comparison, across the 657 MPs in IPSA’s file the middle MP was paid £18,469 and the average was £19,699.
Source: IPSA, individual business costs data · About this data
Election result and area
Jim Shannon represents Strangford. Here is who won there at the last general election, and a few numbers about the area.
Democratic Unionist Party
votes ahead of second place
of people who could vote did
Jim Shannon won with 40% of the votes, and Michelle Guy (Alliance) came second with 27%.
Votes for each party
Every candidate
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Shannon | Democratic Unionist Party | 15,559 | 40.0% |
| Michelle Guy | Alliance | 10,428 | 26.8% |
| Richard Smart | Ulster Unionist Party | 3,941 | 10.1% |
| Ron McDowell | Traditional Unionist Voice | 3,143 | 8.1% |
| Noel Sands | Sinn Féin | 2,793 | 7.2% |
| Will Polland | Social Democratic & Labour Party | 1,783 | 4.6% |
| Alexandra Braidner | Green Party Northern Ireland | 703 | 1.8% |
| Garreth Falls | Independent | 256 | 0.7% |
| Gareth Burns | Independent | 157 | 0.4% |
| Barry Hetherington | Conservative | 146 | 0.4% |
2024 General Election, on today’s boundaries. Source: House of Commons Library via the Members API.
Your area at a glance
Not available for this area.
Share of people aged 16 to 64, August 2026. Source: ONS and DWP claimant count.
How they vote
In the last 12 months Jim Shannon took part in 243 Commons votes.
More detail on how they vote
Jim Shannon voted the same way as their party in 182 of the 186 votes where parties gave instructions (98%), and went the other way in 4.
What does this mean?
Parties tell their MPs how to vote. Most MPs usually follow that. A high or low count says nothing on its own about whether an MP is good or bad, and we do not rank MPs by it. We only count votes where parties gave instructions, not free votes. How we count it
Recent votes
| Date | Vote | They voted | Compared with party |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Sep | End of life for terminally ill adults: the first main vote | Against | Free vote |
| 11 Sep | A vote to end a debate | Against | Free vote |
| 10 Sep | Social housing: an attempt to block it | Against | n/a |
| 8 Sep | Health: a proposed change | For | Same as party |
| 8 Sep | Health: a proposed change | For | Same as party |
| 8 Sep | Health: a proposed change | For | Same as party |
See every vote on Parliament’s site
Times they voted against their party (4)
| Date | Vote | They voted | Most of their party |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Apr | Local government and devolution in England: changes from the House of Lords | For | Against |
| 21 Apr | Local government and devolution in England: changes from the House of Lords | Against | For |
| 25 Nov | Local government and devolution in England: the final vote | For | Against |
| 25 Nov | Local government and devolution in England: a proposed change | Against | For |
Has this changed over time?
View data table
| Month | This MP | Party average |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 25 | 100% | 99% |
| Nov 25 | 87% | 96% |
| Dec 25 | 100% | 100% |
| Jan 26 | 100% | 100% |
| Feb 26 | 100% | 100% |
| Mar 26 | 100% | 100% |
| Apr 26 | 94% | 98% |
| May 26 | 100% | 100% |
| Jun 26 | 100% | 100% |
| Jul 26 | 100% | 100% |
| Sep 26 | 100% | 100% |
Source: Commons Votes API
This page states what the record shows. It does not say why an MP voted as they did. How we calculate this