UK Explained
Last 12 months

How Michael Shanks votes

Michael Shanks voted the same way as their party in 100% of the votes where parties gave instructions. In 0 of those 152 votes, they went the other way.

What does this mean?

Parties tell their MPs how to vote. Most MPs usually follow that. A high score is normal and says nothing about whether an MP is good or bad. We only count votes where parties gave instructions, not free votes. Words explained

Recent votes

DateVoteThey votedCompared with party
11 SepEnd of life for terminally ill adults: the first main voteAgainstFree vote
10 SepSocial housing: an attempt to block itAgainstSame as party
8 SepHealth: a proposed changeAgainstSame as party
8 SepHealth: a proposed changeAgainstSame as party
8 SepHealth: a proposed changeAgainstSame as party
8 SepHealth: a proposed changeAgainstSame as party

See every vote on Parliament’s site

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.

Michael Shanks has 4 interests currently registered.

TypeWhat was registeredRegistered
MiscellaneousA trustee of Glasgow Disabled Scouts. This is an unpaid role.1 Nov 2023
MiscellaneousA member of General Teaching Council for Scotland. This is an unpaid role.1 Nov 2023
MiscellaneousA trustee of Epilepsy Scotland. This is an unpaid role.1 Nov 2023
MiscellaneousA trustee of Interfaith Glasgow. This is an unpaid role.1 Nov 2023

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.

Michael Shanks has not asked any written questions in the last 12 months. Government ministers cannot ask them, so this can simply reflect an MP’s role.

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.

PAID IN 2025-26
£22,447
Office costs · claims for running an office£17,559
Staffing · claims relating to staff£2,180
Accommodation · claims for somewhere to stay£2,708

54 claims. For comparison, across the 657 MPs in IPSA’s file the middle MP was paid £18,469 and the average was £19,699.

Costs depend on many things, such as where an MP’s area is, what premises and staff they need, and whether they joined or left part-way through the year. This page does not say whether any amount is right or wrong. It covers the claims in IPSA’s individual business costs file, so it is not the full cost of an MP’s office.

Source: IPSA, individual business costs data · About this data

Election result and area

Michael Shanks represents Rutherglen. Here is who won there at the last general election, and a few numbers about the area.

WINNER, 2024
Michael Shanks

Labour

MAJORITY
8,767

votes ahead of second place

TURNOUT
58%

of people who could vote did

Michael Shanks won with 51% of the votes, and Katy Loudon (Scottish National Party) came second with 30%.

Votes for each party

Labour51% · 21,460
Scottish National Party30% · 12,693
Reform UK6% · 2,685
Conservative6% · 2,420
Liberal Democrat4% · 1,714
Scottish Socialist Party1% · 541
Everyone else2% · 971
Every candidate
CandidatePartyVotesShare
Michael ShanksLabour21,46050.5%
Katy LoudonScottish National Party12,69329.9%
David StarkReform UK2,6856.3%
Gary BurnsConservative2,4205.7%
Gloria AdeboLiberal Democrat1,7144.0%
Bill BonnarScottish Socialist Party5411.3%
Jim EadieAlba Party4971.2%
John McArthurScottish Family Party3210.8%
Andrew DalyIndependent1530.4%

2024 General Election, on today’s boundaries. Source: House of Commons Library via the Members API.

Your area at a glance

Typical pay for full-time workers who live here
£764 a week
This areaUK: £767 a week

Median gross weekly pay, 2025. Source: ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings.

Working-age people claiming unemployment-related benefits
3.0%
This areaUK: 3.9%

Share of people aged 16 to 64, August 2026. Source: ONS and DWP claimant count.

At a general election each area elects one MP, and the candidate with the most votes wins, even without more than half. The area figures describe the people who live here. They do not show whether any MP or vote is the cause.

Open this area on its own page →

Has this changed over time? 90%95%100%Oct 25Sep 26
This MPParty average
View data table
MonthThis MPParty average
Oct 25100%100%
Nov 25100%100%
Dec 25100%100%
Jan 26100%100%
Feb 26100%100%
Mar 26100%100%
Apr 26100%100%
May 26100%100%
Jun 26100%100%
Jul 26100%99%
Sep 26100%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