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Official portrait of The Lord Oates

The Lord Oates

Liberal Democrat Member of the House of Lords M
Lord Oates's full title is The Lord Oates. His name is Jonathan Oates, and he is a current member of the House of Lords.

Allowance claims · 2026

Data not yet released for 2026 — the Lords Finance Office publishes monthly CSVs ~6-8 weeks after month-end.

Lords votes · 2026

162 divisions 90 Content(55.6%) 17 Not-Content(10.5%) 55 didn't vote(34.0%)
2026-04-28
Content
91181 Not-Content
2026-04-27
Content
197129 Content
2026-04-27
Content
199144 Content
2026-04-27
Content
58138 Not-Content
2026-04-27
Content
210145 Content
2026-04-27
Content
217145 Content
2026-04-27
Content
316165 Content
2026-04-23
Content
199146 Content
2026-04-23
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208138 Content
2026-04-23
Content
197144 Content
2026-04-23
Content
207141 Content
2026-04-23
Content
209145 Content
2026-04-23
Not-Content
152207 Not-Content
2026-04-23
Content
220143 Content
2026-04-22
Content
234152 Content
2026-04-22
Content
281190 Content
2026-04-22
Content
282184 Content
2026-04-20
Content
211150 Content
2026-04-20
Content
216148 Content
2026-04-20
Content
219144 Content
2026-04-20
Content
276169 Content
2026-04-20
Content
259180 Content
2026-04-20
Content
284158 Content
2026-04-16
Content
186144 Content
2026-04-16
Content
192142 Content
2026-04-16
Not-Content
142192 Not-Content
2026-04-16
Content
225144 Content
2026-04-16
Content
216141 Content
2026-04-15
Content
270200 Content
2026-04-15
Not-Content
209260 Not-Content
2026-04-13
Not-Content
16255 Content
2026-04-13
Content
214156 Content
2026-04-13
Content
65173 Not-Content
2026-04-13
Not-Content
178231 Not-Content
2026-04-13
Content
69332 Not-Content
2026-04-13
Content
257180 Content
2026-04-13
Content
247187 Content
2026-03-26
Content
152128 Content
2026-03-26
Content
171146 Content
2026-03-26
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64140 Not-Content
2026-03-25
Content
205147 Content
2026-03-25
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207148 Content
2026-03-25
Not-Content
163195 Not-Content
2026-03-25
Content
200150 Content
2026-03-25
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266141 Content
2026-03-25
Content
306145 Content
2026-03-24
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70132 Not-Content
2026-03-24
Content
187157 Content
2026-03-24
Content
250158 Content
2026-03-24
Content
80166 Not-Content
2026-03-24
Content
285156 Content
2026-03-23
Content
188155 Content
2026-03-23
Content
198159 Content
2026-03-23
Content
241175 Content
2026-03-23
Not-Content
202225 Not-Content
2026-03-11
Not-Content
227221 Content
2026-03-10
Content
189157 Content
2026-03-10
Content
217170 Content
2026-03-10
Content
252171 Content
2026-03-10
Content
257174 Content
2026-03-10
Content
273180 Content
2026-03-09
Content
40123 Not-Content
2026-03-09
Not-Content
68183 Not-Content
2026-03-09
Not-Content
76185 Not-Content
2026-03-09
Content
88172 Not-Content
2026-03-09
Content
75190 Not-Content
2026-03-04
Content
52146 Not-Content
2026-03-04
Content
213145 Content
2026-03-02
Content
142140 Content
2026-03-02
Content
143140 Content
2026-03-02
Content
144143 Content
2026-03-02
Content
144140 Content
2026-03-02
Content
192155 Content
2026-03-02
Content
202155 Content
2026-03-02
Content
61178 Not-Content
2026-03-02
Content
71177 Not-Content
2026-03-02
Content
121145 Not-Content
2026-02-25
Content
172148 Content
2026-02-25
Content
59152 Not-Content
2026-02-25
Content
205188 Content
2026-02-25
Content
86178 Not-Content
2026-02-24
Content
78246 Not-Content
2026-02-10
Not-Content
186251 Not-Content
2026-02-10
Not-Content
188258 Not-Content
2026-01-28
Content
231147 Content
2026-01-28
Content
255183 Content
2026-01-28
Content
67191 Not-Content
2026-01-21
Content
261150 Content
2026-01-21
Content
65162 Not-Content
2026-01-19
Content
216161 Content
2026-01-19
Content
235164 Content
2026-01-14
Not-Content
213211 Content
2026-01-14
Content
278176 Content
2026-01-06
Content
4197 Not-Content
2026-01-06
Not-Content
134185 Not-Content
2026-01-06
Content
204136 Content
2026-01-06
Not-Content
180219 Not-Content
2026-01-06
Not-Content
182209 Not-Content
Source: lordsvotes-api.parliament.uk. "Result" shows the headline Content vs Not-Content tally (including tellers). The Lords doesn't publish a "didn't vote" attendance roll like the Commons, so the figure above conflates absence with abstention.

Recent Hansard contributions · latest 25

2026-05-21 Youth Offending
To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the progress in reducing youth offending in England and Wales over the past 25 years.
2026-05-21 Youth Offending
My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for her Answer. In her reply to questions on the Statement yesterday, she stated that “there is no intention to abolish the Youth Justice Board”.—[Official Report, 20/5/26; col. 427.] We are grateful for that
2026-05-20 Youth Justice
Does the Minister recognise that the Youth Justice Board was a jewel in the crown of the 1997 Labour Government, dramatically reducing the number of young people in the juvenile secure estate while reducing youth offending and recidivism? Does she also r
2026-01-29 UK Development Partnership Assistance
My Lords, I join others in congratulating my noble friend Lady Featherstone on securing this debate and on her eloquent opening speech, and I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Hyde, and the noble Lord, Lord Barber, on their powerful maiden speeches.
2026-01-13 Official Development Assistance
My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Bates, for initiating this debate. I declare my interest as CEO of United Against Malnutrition & Hunger. As we have heard, the world faces an unprecedented series of humanitarian crises driven by conflict and
2026-01-08 Mining: Pollution
My Lords, I tabled this debate to tell the story of the people of Kabwe, a city in Zambia which has been described as the world’s most polluted town, and to highlight the dangers of their experiences being replicated in the scramble for African resources
2026-01-08 Mining: Pollution
To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the United Kingdom’s responsibility to ensure that mining companies which operated in former British colonies during colonial rule address pollution that their activities caused in thos
2025-12-17 Jimmy Lai Conviction
My Lords, I associate the Liberal Democrats with the Government’s strong condemnation of Jimmy Lai’s political conviction and of the Chinese Government for engineering it. I join the noble Earl in saluting the courage of Jimmy Lai, who, instead of choosi
2025-12-01 South Sudan
My Lords, I declare my interest as chief executive of United Against Malnutrition & Hunger. In his 3 November report, the Secretary-General of the UN warned that without humanitarian access being restored to all areas, South Sudan risks a full-scale
2025-11-27 Sudan
My Lords, I declare my interest as CEO of United Against Malnutrition & Hunger. I join others in thanking the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Leeds for initiating this debate and for his strong advocacy for Sudan during his years in this House.
2025-11-05 Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill
Can we have clarity on this? My understanding is that there is no right of appeal against the Home Office decision that an error was made. Instead, there is the right to make another application, and then appeal if that is refused. As I set out, that is
2025-11-05 Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill
My Lords, I will not repeat the comprehensive arguments my noble friend has so eloquently set out in support of this amendment. I want to focus briefly on the point she highlighted that, by allowing settled status to expire rather than revoking or cancel
2025-10-29 Corruption: Low and Middle-income Countries
My Lords, I welcome the Government’s focus on this critical issue. The Minister will be aware of the particular role of the illicit gold trade in fuelling the conflict in Sudan and conflicts elsewhere, and in laundering the proceeds of corruption around
2025-10-29 Corruption: Low and Middle-income Countries
To ask His Majesty’s Government whether they will strengthen existing policy, resources and enforcement powers to ensure the prosecution of those in the United Kingdom who have enriched themselves through the corrupt use of public funds in low-and-mi
2025-10-16 Starvation as a Weapon of War
My Lords, I declare my interest as the chief executive of United Against Malnutrition and Hunger. It is a huge privilege to follow that very powerful speech by the noble Baroness, Lady Helic. I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Brown of Silvertown, for secu
2025-09-19 Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill
My Lords, I shall focus today on the group of people to whom the Bill actually relates—those terminally ill patients with capacity whose death in consequence of that illness or disease can reasonably be expected within six months. We can argue about whet
2025-09-16 Ethiopia and Eritrea
My Lords, I also welcome the noble Lord to his place, but does he recognise that the UK’s influence in the Horn of Africa and across the continent has been greatly diminished by a lack of consistent political leadership in the FCDO, exemplified by having
2025-09-08 Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill
I thank the Minister for his response and for taking time to meet me and my colleagues to discuss these matters, as he referred to. I am grateful for his clarification regarding Amendments 143 and 145, which will give welcome reassurance. I am not ent
2025-09-08 Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill
My Lords, I am speaking on behalf of my noble friend Lady Ludford, who unfortunately cannot be in her place today. In doing so, I pay tribute to her tireless advocacy for EU settled status holders. I also thank the3million for the brilliant work that it
2025-09-08 Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill
2025-09-08 Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill
My Lords, I will speak very briefly in support of the comments by the noble Lord, Lord Pannick, and shall give one example as to why automatic removal regardless of the circumstances is so wrong. The noble Lord, Lord Harper—whom I was lucky to work with
2025-09-08 Suicide Reduction
My Lords, the Minister will be aware of the excellent work done by Samaritans’ volunteer listening service. Is she aware of its grave concern over plans to close over half of local Samaritans branches? Can she tell us what assessment the Government have
2025-07-21 Official Development Assistance
My Lords, I thank the Minister for her reply. She will be aware that the cumulative impacts of cuts to development support around the world fundamentally undermine progress on the sustainable development goals, with devastating consequences for millions
2025-07-21 Official Development Assistance
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper, and in doing so I declare my interest as chief executive of United Against Malnutrition and Hunger.
2025-07-21 Official Development Assistance
To ask His Majesty’s Government whether they have made an assessment of the likely impact of cuts to Official Development Assistance in the UK, United States of America and European nations on progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Developmen
Source: hansard.parliament.uk via hansard-api. Snippets shown verbatim from the search API; click any debate title for the full record.

Register of Interests · 3 entries on file

Declarations under the Lords Code of Conduct. Free text — no monetary values, no hours worked. A declaration that an interest exists, not a claim about its size.

Category 1: Remunerated employment etc.

  • Chief Executive, UK Alliance to End Malnutrition and Hunger
    registered 2022-09-26 · amended 2025-04-05
  • Book royalties received from publication of “I never promised you a rose garden”, Biteback Publishing, 31 March 2025
    registered 2021-10-10 · amended 2025-06-30

Category 5: Overseas visits

  • Visit to Angola, 16-20 March 2026, to witness the work of the Halo Trust; flights, accommodation and subsistence paid for by the Halo Trust
    registered 2026-04-14
Source: UK Parliament Members API (Lords register). Refreshed weekly. Read the full Lords Code of Conduct for what each category covers and the disclosure thresholds.

Party history

2015-10-05present
Liberal Democrat current

Government posts

None recorded.

Opposition posts

2020-01-292022-05-11
Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Energy and Climate Change)

Committee memberships

2016-01-262017-09-05
EU Justice Sub-Committee
2019-07-022020-04-23
EU External Affairs Sub-Committee
2019-10-292021-03-31
European Union Committee
2020-04-232023-01-31
International Agreements Committee
2026-01-27present
National Resilience Committee

Contact

Parliamentary office
contactholmember@parliament.uk
020 7219 5353 · House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW

APPGs (2026) · 6 active officership(s) · 8 historic

Group Role(s) Funders Officers in group Next deadline
All-Party Parliamentary Group for Africa
Country, Area or Region Group
Co-Chair 4 2027-01-12
All-Party Parliamentary Group for Zimbabwe
Country Group
Co-Chair 4 2025-05-14
All-Party Parliamentary Group on Global Health and Security
Subject Group
Vice Chair 4 2026-09-14
All-Party Parliamentary Group on Inclusive Growth
Subject Group
Vice Chair 6 2024-07-08
All-Party Parliamentary Group on Trade out of Poverty
Subject Group
Vice Chair ODI 8 2024-05-28
All-Party Parliamentary Group on Vaccinations for All
Subject Group
Vice Chair RESULTS UK 4 2025-06-03
One row per active APPG. Funder names link out via the /appgs Top secretariat funders panel — click any funder there to open its full relationship graph. Officer matching is name-based against the parliament.uk register text and may miss titled / hyphenated variants.

Written parliamentary questions · 2026

Showing 2 of 2 tabled 1 answered(50.0%) 2 departments
2026-06-15
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Gold: Zimbabwe
Pending
2026-04-13
Home Office
Visas: Sudan
Answered
Source: UK Parliament Members API. The amber "interest" tag is set by Parliament's own system when the asking member has a register entry it deems related — typically a paid role or directorship in the sector being asked about. Click any "i" icon to see the full question and the department's answer.

Bills sponsored & supported · 2026

1 bills 1 as lead sponsor 0 as supporter
Bill Info Role Status Introduced
Youth Justice Board for England and Wales (Restoration of Powers and Responsibilities) Bill [HL] Lead 2nd reading 2026-06-10
Source: UK Parliament Bills API. "Lead" sponsor is the primary mover (sortOrder = 1); "Supporter" rows are members of either House who backed the bill at introduction. Year is the bill's first-reading date.

Historic bills (all-time)

2 bills 2 as lead sponsor 0 as supporter
Bill Info Role Status Introduced
Youth Justice Board for England and Wales (Restoration of Powers and Responsibilities) Bill [HL] Sponsored 2nd reading 2026-06-10
EEA Nationals (Indefinite Leave to Remain) Bill [HL] Sponsored 2nd reading 2017-07-06
Same source as the year-scoped panel above, but unconstrained by year. The "Sponsored" tag = lead sponsor; "Supported" = backed at introduction. Sorted newest first.
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