Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven: MP, 2024 result and local figures
Chris Ward (Labour) is the MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, elected at the general election of 4 July 2024. Chris Ward took the seat for Labour in July 2024 with 17,893 votes (44.0%), ahead of Khobi Vallis (Conservative) on 8,230. Turnout, counted as valid votes over the electorate, was 59.2% (40,686 of 68,784); the winning margin was 9,663 votes.
Key figures
What the figures show
Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven had an estimated population of 98,152 in mid-2024, against 94,103 in 2014 (ONS). 17,844 were aged 65 or over and 14,163 were under 16.
3,530 business sites were registered in Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven in March 2026 (3,435 a year before), and employed 40,000 people in 2024.
Homes in Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven sold for a median £370,000 in the year to March 2026, from HM Land Registry records compiled by the ONS. That is up 31% on £283,000 ten years before. The highest March-year median in the series was £395,000, in the year to March 2023. It ranks 159th highest of 575 constituencies. The figure rests on 995 recorded sales.
Survey estimates for April 2025 to March 2026 have 72.6% of working-age residents in employment, within a margin of 9.1 points. The economically inactive share was 20.3%.
3,943 children in Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven were in relative low income families after housing costs in 2024/25, the Department for Work and Pensions estimates: 27.8% of under-16s, where the UK share is 26.0%. Before housing costs the share was 17.8% in 2024/25, from 16.7% in 2021/22.
Median annual pay for full-time work was £40,224 for jobs in Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven and £40,218 for its residents (April 2025, ASHE). A year before, the residents' median was £38,234. The residents' figure ranks 220th highest of 632 constituencies with an estimate. The latest year is provisional.
Census 2021: 41,451 households, 2,386.5 people per square kilometre, 33.2% of workers based at home, 19.6% of adults retired.
3,155 people were claiming unemployment-related benefits in September 2026, 4.8% of residents aged 16 to 64. September 2025 had 2,905.
MP
Chris Ward, Labour
- MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven since 4 July 2024
Official UK Parliament page · Statements by Chris Ward on this site
In Parliament
What Chris Ward said most recently in Parliament, word for word from Hansard (from 15 October 2026 to 26 October 2026). Hansard search returns 259 spoken contributions by Chris Ward since 4 July 2024.
October marks the first anniversary since the appalling arson attack on a mosque in Peacehaven in my constituency.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
I am concerned about the message this decision sends about how serious we are about tackling the climate emergency and protecting our hard-won international reputation as a world leader on climate change.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
I am afraid it does. As my hon. Friend’s intervention shows, some constituents are now routinely missing letters—letters informing them of NHS appointments, legal affairs, fines and so on.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
I thank the hon. Member for Lagan Valley (Sorcha Eastwood) for securing this debate.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
T6. I know that the Secretary of State, and the Minister, enjoy a good pub as much as the next person, so do they share my concern that in Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, our pubs and hospitality sector is under real strain?
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
Read from the Hansard API on 26 October 2026. Up to two items per debate; remarks under 40 characters are left out. All contributions in Hansard.
General election, 4 July 2024
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Change in share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Ward | Labour | 17,893 | 44.0% | −7.2 |
| Khobi Vallis | Conservative | 8,230 | 20.2% | −14.2 |
| Elaine Hills | Green Party | 7,997 | 19.7% | +14.0 |
| Stewart Stone | Liberal Democrat | 3,949 | 9.7% | +3.7 |
| Emma Wall | Independent | 1,833 | 4.5% | |
| Valerie Gray | Social Democratic Party | 784 | 1.9% |
Result summary as published: Lab hold. Change in share is in percentage points against the notional 2019 result on the new boundaries. Source: House of Commons Library, election results (data, read 14 October 2026).
Results on these boundaries
| Date | Election | First | Second | Majority | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 July 2024 | General election | Labour 44.0% | Conservative 20.2% | 9,663 | 59.2% |
| 12 December 2019 | General election (notional result on these boundaries) | Labour 51.2% | Conservative 34.4% | 8,280 | 70.8% |
Only results on the constituency boundaries first used at the 2024 general election are shown. The 2019 figures are the House of Commons Library's notional estimates of how votes cast in 2019 would have fallen on these boundaries, not a result that was declared. Source: House of Commons Library, constituency results.
Councils
Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven covers wards in 2 local authority areas, listed by the number of wards in the constituency.
- Brighton and Hove E06000043
- Lewes E07000063
Who has power over Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven
Every body that makes decisions for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, from the street up to the G20. Each one links to its page on the official record. How the ten levels work.
Level 1: Neighbourhood and community power
Residents' and tenants' groups, neighbourhood forums and local policing panels.
Level 2: Parish, town and community councils
Parish, town and community councils, where the area has them, sit below the council.
Level 5: Devolved and state governments
England has no devolved parliament of its own: its laws are made by the UK Parliament.
Level 6: National government
- Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven this page: Chris Ward (Labour) MP
- All 650 MPs votes, interests and costs
- UK government and Parliament official figures and sources
Level 7: Regional blocs and supranational bodies
- Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights (CoE / ECtHR) The UK Government says the United Kingdom was one of the Council of Europe's founding members.
Level 8: The UN and global treaty bodies
- United Nations (General Assembly and Security Council) The UN lists the United Kingdom as a member admitted on 24 October 1945.
- United Nations Security Council (UNSC) The UK is one of the five permanent members of the Security Council and holds the veto, according to the UN.
- NATO NATO lists the United Kingdom among its 12 founding members, which signed the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington, D.C.
- World Health Organization (WHO) WHO's list of member states includes the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
- World Trade Organization (WTO) The WTO says the United Kingdom has been a WTO member since 1 January 1995 and a member of GATT since 1 January 1948.
- Commonwealth of Nations The UK is one of the 56 members, one of three European members with Cyprus and Malta, and the Commonwealth Secretariat is headquartered at Marlborough House in London.
Level 9: The IMF, World Bank and global finance
- International Monetary Fund (IMF) The UK has been a member since 27 December 1945 and has a quota of SDR 20,155.1 million (IMF country page for the United Kingdom).
- World Bank Group (WBG) The UK holds 3.75% of voting power in the IBRD (data as of 30 June 2026) and 6.92% in IDA (as of 30 June 2026), according to the World Bank's voting tables.
Level 10: G7, G20, Davos and global forums
Sources
| Figure | Period | Publisher | Read | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | mid-2024 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · area |
| Claimants as a share of residents aged 16 to 64 | September 2026 | ONS | 29 October 2026 | data · area |
| Claimant count | September 2026 | ONS | 29 October 2026 | data · area |
| Employment rate, aged 16 to 64 | April 2025 to March 2026 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · area |
| Median full-time pay of residents | April 2025 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · area |
| Median full-time pay of people working here | April 2025 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · area |
| Median house price | the year to March 2026 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · release |
| Homes sold | the year to March 2026 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · release |
| Children in relative low income families, after housing costs | 2024/25 | DWP | 14 October 2026 | data · release |
| Children in relative low income families, before housing costs | 2024/25 | DWP | 14 October 2026 | data · release |
| Business sites (local units) | March 2026 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · area |
| People employed by businesses here | 2024 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · area |
| Economically inactive, aged 16 to 64 | April 2025 to March 2026 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · area |
| Households | Census 2021 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · area |
| Residents per square kilometre | Census 2021 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · area |
| Workers mainly working from home | Census 2021 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · area |
| Residents aged 16+ who are retired | Census 2021 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · area |
"Data" is the file or query each figure was read from (its SHA-256 is in the link title); "area" shows the same table for this constituency alone.
Common questions
Who is the MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven?
UK Parliament lists Chris Ward, Labour, as the Member of Parliament for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven since the July 2024 general election.
What was the 2024 general election result in Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven?
Chris Ward (Labour) won with 17,893 votes, a majority of 9,663, on a turnout of 59.2% (House of Commons Library).
What is the unemployment claimant rate in Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven?
4.8% of residents aged 16 to 64 in September 2026, 3,155 people, on the ONS claimant count.
What is the average house price in Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven?
The median price paid was £370,000 in the year to March 2026 (ONS, from HM Land Registry sales).
What is the average salary in Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven?
Median full-time pay of residents was £40,218 a year in April 2025 (ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings).
How many children in Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven live in low income families?
DWP counts 3,943 (27.8% of under-16s) in relative low income after housing costs for 2024/25.
What is the population of Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven?
The ONS estimate for mid-2024 is 98,152 residents.
Built 14 October 2026 from official records; how these pages are compiled. This page lists what the record shows and gives no verdict on the MP or the area. Link moved or figure wrong? Tell us.