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Official portrait of The Rt Hon. the Lord Bassam of Brighton

The Rt Hon. the Lord Bassam of Brighton

Labour Member of the House of Lords M
Lord Bassam of Brighton's full title is The Rt Hon. the Lord Bassam of Brighton. His name is John Steven Bassam, 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 2 Content(1.2%) 122 Not-Content(75.3%) 38 didn't vote(23.5%)
2026-04-28
Not-Content
91181 Not-Content
2026-04-27
Not-Content
316165 Content
2026-04-23
Not-Content
199146 Content
2026-04-23
Not-Content
208138 Content
2026-04-23
Not-Content
197144 Content
2026-04-23
Not-Content
207141 Content
2026-04-23
Not-Content
209145 Content
2026-04-22
Not-Content
234152 Content
2026-04-22
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281190 Content
2026-04-22
Not-Content
282184 Content
2026-04-20
Not-Content
162151 Content
2026-04-20
Not-Content
211150 Content
2026-04-20
Not-Content
216148 Content
2026-04-20
Not-Content
219144 Content
2026-04-20
Not-Content
276169 Content
2026-04-20
Not-Content
259180 Content
2026-04-20
Not-Content
284158 Content
2026-04-16
Not-Content
115121 Not-Content
2026-04-16
Not-Content
186144 Content
2026-04-16
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192142 Content
2026-04-16
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135154 Not-Content
2026-04-16
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142192 Not-Content
2026-04-15
Not-Content
270200 Content
2026-04-15
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209260 Not-Content
2026-04-13
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135154 Not-Content
2026-04-13
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214156 Content
2026-04-13
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65173 Not-Content
2026-04-13
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178231 Not-Content
2026-04-13
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69332 Not-Content
2026-04-13
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257180 Content
2026-04-13
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247187 Content
2026-03-26
Not-Content
152128 Content
2026-03-26
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171146 Content
2026-03-26
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115197 Not-Content
2026-03-26
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64140 Not-Content
2026-03-25
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205147 Content
2026-03-25
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207148 Content
2026-03-25
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163195 Not-Content
2026-03-25
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200150 Content
2026-03-25
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266141 Content
2026-03-25
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306145 Content
2026-03-24
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187157 Content
2026-03-24
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250158 Content
2026-03-24
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80166 Not-Content
2026-03-24
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285156 Content
2026-03-23
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188155 Content
2026-03-23
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198159 Content
2026-03-23
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241175 Content
2026-03-19
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135110 Content
2026-03-19
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184118 Content
2026-03-18
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68163 Not-Content
2026-03-18
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70166 Not-Content
2026-03-18
Content
18058 Content
2026-03-18
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119191 Not-Content
2026-03-18
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148185 Not-Content
2026-03-18
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203148 Content
2026-03-18
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220191 Content
2026-03-18
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231188 Content
2026-03-18
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225189 Content
2026-03-16
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48142 Not-Content
2026-03-16
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198171 Content
2026-03-16
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201177 Content
2026-03-16
Not-Content
276165 Content
2026-03-11
Not-Content
44153 Not-Content
2026-03-11
Not-Content
163153 Content
2026-03-11
Not-Content
227221 Content
2026-03-11
Not-Content
215180 Content
2026-03-10
Not-Content
189157 Content
2026-03-10
Not-Content
217170 Content
2026-03-09
Not-Content
40123 Not-Content
2026-03-09
Not-Content
68183 Not-Content
2026-03-09
Not-Content
76185 Not-Content
2026-03-09
Not-Content
82151 Not-Content
2026-03-09
Not-Content
200162 Content
2026-03-09
Not-Content
88172 Not-Content
2026-03-09
Not-Content
75190 Not-Content
2026-03-02
Not-Content
142140 Content
2026-03-02
Not-Content
143140 Content
2026-03-02
Not-Content
144143 Content
2026-03-02
Not-Content
144140 Content
2026-03-02
Not-Content
192155 Content
2026-03-02
Not-Content
202155 Content
2026-03-02
Not-Content
61178 Not-Content
2026-03-02
Not-Content
71177 Not-Content
2026-03-02
Not-Content
121145 Not-Content
2026-02-25
Not-Content
43131 Not-Content
2026-02-25
Not-Content
172148 Content
2026-02-25
Not-Content
59152 Not-Content
2026-02-25
Not-Content
213150 Content
2026-02-25
Not-Content
205188 Content
2026-02-25
Not-Content
86178 Not-Content
2026-02-24
Not-Content
78246 Not-Content
2026-02-10
Not-Content
186251 Not-Content
2026-02-10
Not-Content
188258 Not-Content
2026-02-03
Not-Content
178140 Content
2026-02-03
Not-Content
36144 Not-Content
2026-02-03
Not-Content
176132 Content
2026-02-03
Not-Content
295180 Content
2026-01-28
Not-Content
255183 Content
2026-01-28
Not-Content
67191 Not-Content
2026-01-21
Not-Content
261150 Content
2026-01-21
Not-Content
65162 Not-Content
2026-01-21
Not-Content
207159 Content
2026-01-14
Not-Content
59127 Not-Content
2026-01-14
Not-Content
213211 Content
2026-01-14
Not-Content
278176 Content
2026-01-06
Not-Content
134185 Not-Content
2026-01-06
Not-Content
204136 Content
2026-01-06
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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

2026-06-22 Sporting Events Bill [HL]
That is my point exactly, and that is why this is an important debate to have had this evening. I congratulate the noble Lord on his observations and comments.
2026-06-22 Sporting Events Bill [HL]
My Lords, I will speak to my Amendment 28A. The Bill usefully sets out that regulations in relation to ticket touting will be brought in for sporting events. But a number of organisations, including UK Music, are understandably asking the Government to c
2026-06-08 South East Water: Disruption of Supply
The South East Water company is something of a joke. If I lived in Tunbridge Wells, I would be “Angry of Tunbridge Wells”. The failures in supply in parts of Kent over the last two or three years have been quite profound. What measures can we take to mak
2026-06-03 Sporting Events Bill [HL]
I was the Minister who took the 2000 legislation through your Lordships’ House. That legislation was widely praised at the time as a way of tackling the outrageous behaviour of England fans travelling across Europe during the Euro 2000 competition. It ch
2026-06-03 Sporting Events Bill [HL]
My Lords, like everyone else, I congratulate the Government and the Minister on bringing forward the Bill at this time. It seems extremely apposite, with the World Cup just in play. It is a privilege to take part in a debate that, as others have observed
2026-06-03 World Cup Ticket Prices
My Lords, some tickets for this year’s World Cup will cost as much as $6,500, and I am told $10,000 for the final, pricing football fans out of watching games. I remind the House that, in 1966, watching the final cost you just 10 bob. This is an absolute
2026-06-03 World Cup Ticket Prices
To ask His Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with football’s governing bodies about the price of World Cup tickets.
2026-03-26 English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
My Lords, my task is very simple this afternoon, and that is to thank the Government and congratulate them on bringing forward Amendments 245 and 265, which will ensure that proper enforcement action can now be taken against those who breach parking cond
2026-03-24 English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
My Lords, I rise to speak about this based on my experience and the report I helped author for the Co-op commission on rural poverty some four years ago. What was clear to us then was the growing disparity between our towns and villages and our cities. T
2026-03-24 English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
My Lords, I was happy to co-sign the government’s amendment, which adds “culture” to the Bill, for one very good reason: I have always thought of myself as a practical politician. I declare an interest that I chair Brighton & Hove’s Seafront Developm
2026-03-03 Assisted Dying Legislation: Isle of Man and Jersey
My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for her reply. We are in an odd position—are we not?—on the assisted dying Bill. The Isle of Man has legislation in place, the Welsh Assembly has just approved a legislative consent Motion, the States Assembly of J
2026-03-03 Assisted Dying Legislation: Isle of Man and Jersey
To ask His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to enable legislation passed by the Tynwald of the Isle of Man and States Assembly of Jersey allowing assisted dying to receive Royal Assent in a timely fashion.
2026-02-11 English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
2026-02-11 English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
My Lords, I have Amendment 206 in this group. I guess it is fishing in a similar pool to that of the noble Lord, Lord Wallace, but with a more explicit purpose. With the increased size of local authorities that we are going to get, we will have cities
2026-02-11 English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
My Lords, I shall not speak for long. I was looking around the Room, trying to add up how many former local leaders there are, and I got to five or maybe six. We probably all had one thing in common: our generation of politicians was extraordinarily reli
2026-02-11 English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
I thank my noble friend for her response to my amendment. It is worth the Government thinking a bit more about whether it would be appropriate to put in the Bill something that reflects the guidance. I am grateful to all noble Lords who supported what I
2026-02-11 English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
My Lords, my Amendment 196EC to Schedule 26 fairly sets out some of my concerns, which, having listened to the noble Baroness, I am sure are shared by others in the Room. I tabled it in part to probe how Ministers will determine the new pattern of unitar
2026-02-09 English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
My Lords, I will speak to Amendment 196C. For me, this is a really interesting group because it is quite wide: part of it is to do with wanting to enable local revenue raising and part of it says, “Hang on. Hold on a minute, we need a bit more accountabi
2026-02-02 English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
Okay—I will sum up when he has.
2026-02-02 English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
My Lords, I will speak to Amendment 121A on behalf of my noble friend Lord Blunkett who sends his apologies to the Committee this afternoon. He has a long-standing appointment that he could not cancel, so he asked me to speak to his amendment on his beha
2026-02-02 English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
My Lords, I am rarely disappointed by the words of the Minister on matters relating to transport. I am delighted that he concedes that the Blunkett amendment is close to perfection; I think it is. I rather hope that, between now and Report, those of us w
2026-02-02 English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
Has the Minister finished?
2026-02-02 English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
My Lords, I have three amendments in this group, Amendments 120A to 120C. They are part of a theme that has been talked about before: the degree of devolution and centralisation of existing powers. In general, the Bill is a welcome move towards greater d
2026-01-29 English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
My Lords, I will withdraw my amendment. I think the noble Lord’s primary argument was about a potential lack of capacity at local level and the need to have proper oversight and regulation. I entirely accept that. That is a reasonable point to make, but
2026-01-29 English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
My Lords, I apologise for not being here a bit earlier and hearing more of the earlier debate and discussion about parish councils. My amendment seeks to include all parish councils in the definition of a local authority which has a power of general comp
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 · 5 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.

  • Director of Place, Business in the Community
    registered 2019-10-10 · amended 2025-04-05

Category 6: Gifts, benefits and hospitality

  • Two tickets received from BBC for the showing of The Night Manager, 10 December 2025
    registered 2026-01-06
  • Two tickets and hospitality received from Premier League for Crystal Palace v Brighton and Hove Albion match, 9 November 2025
    registered 2025-11-27
  • Two tickets received from BBC for First Night of the Proms, 18 July 2025
    registered 2025-07-28
  • Two tickets received from UK Music for Van Morrison concert, 11 July 2025
    registered 2025-07-28
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

1997-11-03present
Labour current

Government posts

2008-10-052010-05-06
Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
2001-06-072008-10-05
Lords in Waiting (HM Household)

Opposition posts

2023-02-212024-07-05
Shadow Spokesperson (Culture, Media and Sport)
2023-02-212023-10-26
Shadow Spokesperson (Energy and Net Zero)
2023-02-212024-07-05
Shadow Spokesperson (Science, Innovation and Technology)
2020-05-142023-02-20
Shadow Spokesperson (Digital, Culture, Media and Sport) (Sport)
2020-04-152023-02-20
Shadow Spokesperson (Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and International Trade)
2019-03-252021-05-17
Shadow Spokesperson (Further & Higher Education)
2010-05-122018-01-24
Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)

Committee memberships

2008-10-072018-02-01
Committee of Selection (Lords)
2008-10-072018-02-01
Procedure and Privileges Committee
2008-12-162012-05-01
Administration and Works Committee (Lords)
2010-06-022018-02-01
Committee for Privileges and Conduct (Lords)
2011-06-282018-01-24
Sub-Committee on Leave of Absence
2016-09-012018-02-01
Services Committee
2018-05-172019-03-19
Regenerating Seaside Towns and Communities Committee Chair +£15,235/yr
2019-06-202019-07-23
Sentencing (Pre-consolidation Amendments) Bill [HL] Special Public Bill Committee
2022-12-122023-02-20
Electronic Trade Documents Bill [HL] Special Public Bill Committee
2024-11-182025-02-03
Property (Digital Assets etc) Bill [HL] Special Public Bill Committee
2026-01-27present
Built Environment Committee

Contact

Parliamentary office
bassams@parliament.uk
020 7219 5353 · House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
X (formerly Twitter)

APPGs (2026) · 4 active officership(s)

Group Role(s) Funders Officers in group Next deadline
All-Party Parliamentary Group for Responsible Business
Subject Group
Officer Business in the Community 4 2027-04-17
All-Party Parliamentary Group for Visual Arts and Artists
Subject Group
Officer Design and Artists Copyright Society 4 2027-02-08
All-Party Parliamentary Group on Advertising
Subject Group
Officer 4 2026-05-22
All-Party Parliamentary Group on Trailer and Towing Safety
Subject Group
Officer 6 2024-06-03
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 18 of 18 tabled 18 answered(100.0%) 7 departments
2026-05-20
Department of Health and Social Care
Cannabis: Medical Treatments
Answered
2026-05-19
Department of Health and Social Care
Cannabis: Medical Treatments
Answered
2026-05-19
Department of Health and Social Care
Epilepsy
Answered
2026-05-19
Department of Health and Social Care
Epilepsy
Answered
2026-04-13
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Social Rented Housing: Brighton Hospital
Answered
2026-04-13
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Social Rented Housing: Brighton Hospital
Answered
2026-04-13
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Social Rented Housing: Brighton Hospital
Answered
2026-03-17
Cabinet Office
Civil Servants: Workplace Pensions
Answered
2026-03-17
Cabinet Office
Civil Servants: Workplace Pensions
Answered
2026-03-17
Cabinet Office
Civil Servants: Workplace Pensions
Answered
2026-03-17
Cabinet Office
Civil Servants: Workplace Pensions
Answered
2026-03-17
Cabinet Office
Civil Servants: Workplace Pensions
Answered
2026-03-17
Department for Transport
Lewes-Uckfield Railway Line
Answered
2026-02-25
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
USA : Deportation
Answered
2026-02-11
Treasury
Recording Studios: Business Rates
Answered
2026-02-11
Department for Education
Literacy: Standards
Answered
2026-02-11
Department for Education
Literacy: Primary Education
Answered
2026-01-27
Department for Transport
Heathrow Airport: Construction
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

0 bills 0 as lead sponsor 0 as supporter
No bills sponsored or supported in 2026.
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)

3 bills 1 as lead sponsor 2 as supporter
Bill Info Role Status Introduced
Channel Tunnel Rail Link (Supplementary Provisions) Act 2008 Supported Royal Assent 2007-11-08
Local Transport Act 2008 Sponsored Royal Assent 2007-11-07
Crossrail Act 2008 Supported Royal Assent 2005-02-22
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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