Central Suffolk and North Ipswich: MP, 2024 result and local figures
Central Suffolk and North Ipswich is represented in the House of Commons by Patrick Spencer (Conservative). The 2024 count gave Patrick Spencer (Conservative) 15,144 votes and Kevin Craig (Labour) 10,854, a majority of 4,290. Turnout, counted as valid votes over the electorate, was 63.6% (46,423 of 73,046).
Key figures
What the figures show
Central Suffolk and North Ipswich had an estimated population of 96,582 in mid-2024, against 92,080 in 2014 (ONS). There were more residents aged 65 and over (23,419) than children under 16 (16,615).
Survey estimates for April 2025 to March 2026 have 82.4% of working-age residents in employment, within a margin of 8.0 points. The economically inactive share was 15.4%.
Median annual pay for full-time work was £33,965 for jobs in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich and £43,556 for its residents (April 2025, ASHE). A year before, the residents' median was £40,348. The residents' figure ranks 131st highest of 632 constituencies with an estimate. The latest year is provisional.
DWP figures count 3,340 children under 16 in relative low income families after housing costs in 2024/25, 20.1% of children here against 26.0% across the UK. Before housing costs the share was 15.3% in 2024/25, from 14.1% in 2021/22.
Homes in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich sold for a median £312,000 in the year to March 2026, from HM Land Registry records compiled by the ONS. That is up 40% on £223,000 ten years before. The highest March-year median in the series was £315,250, in the year to March 2023. It ranks 252nd highest of 575 constituencies. The figure rests on 1,149 recorded sales.
1,160 people were claiming unemployment-related benefits in September 2026, 2.1% of residents aged 16 to 64. September 2025 had 1,045.
4,400 business sites were registered in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich in March 2026 (4,415 a year before), and employed 32,000 people in 2024.
At the 2021 Census there were 39,508 households and 171.7 residents per square kilometre; 30.6% of workers mainly worked from home and 27.3% of residents aged 16 and over were retired.
MP
Patrick Spencer, Conservative
- MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich since 4 July 2024
Official UK Parliament page · Statements by Patrick Spencer on this site
In Parliament
Hansard records these as Patrick Spencer's latest words in Parliament, from 12 October 2026 to 26 October 2026. Hansard search returns 93 spoken contributions by Patrick Spencer since 4 July 2024.
Last year there was unanimous objection in Parliament and across the country to plans for aligning section 1 and section 2 forms for gun licences, mostly because it would make shotgun ownership more onerous for farmers.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
I will not. The Government have a chance to U-turn. It is a move with which they are now all too familiar. They should show some gumption and cut welfare, grow a backbone and not let the slackers in Whitehall get away with a four-day working week.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
I am happy to report that the black Labrador population of Suffolk is thriving. SEERS Medical in Debenham sells medical equipment around the world. Such businesses are invaluable to our economy and society.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
The proposers of the Easton-Letheringham solar farm application in my constituency have finally been forced to get an environmental impact assessment.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
Can I just get clarity? The Prime Minister said that he wanted to increase defence spending, but then he backtracked. He then said he would prioritise welfare—sorry, he promised to cut welfare, before prioritising it over defence.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
Read from the Hansard API on 27 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Spencer | Conservative | 15,144 | 32.6% | −29.3 |
| Kevin Craig | Labour | 10,854 | 23.4% | +1.5 |
| Tony Gould | Reform UK | 8,806 | 19.0% | |
| Daniel Pratt | Green Party | 5,652 | 12.2% | +6.6 |
| Brett Mickelburgh | Liberal Democrat | 5,407 | 11.6% | +1.0 |
| Charlie Caiger | Independent | 366 | 0.8% | |
| Mike Hallatt | Independent | 194 | 0.4% |
Result summary as published: Con 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 | Conservative 32.6% | Labour 23.4% | 4,290 | 63.6% |
| 12 December 2019 | General election (notional result on these boundaries) | Conservative 61.9% | Labour 21.8% | 20,213 | 71.0% |
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
Central Suffolk and North Ipswich covers wards in 3 local authority areas, listed by the number of wards in the constituency.
- Mid Suffolk E07000203
- East Suffolk E07000244
- Ipswich E07000202
Who has power over Central Suffolk and North Ipswich
Every body that makes decisions for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, 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
- Central Suffolk and North Ipswich this page: Patrick Spencer (Conservative) 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 Central Suffolk and North Ipswich?
UK Parliament lists Patrick Spencer, Conservative, as the Member of Parliament for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich since the July 2024 general election.
What was the 2024 general election result in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich?
Patrick Spencer (Conservative) won with 15,144 votes, a majority of 4,290, on a turnout of 63.6% (House of Commons Library).
What is the unemployment claimant rate in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich?
2.1% of residents aged 16 to 64 in September 2026, 1,160 people, on the ONS claimant count.
What is the average house price in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich?
The median price paid was £312,000 in the year to March 2026 (ONS, from HM Land Registry sales).
What is the average salary in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich?
Median full-time pay of residents was £43,556 a year in April 2025 (ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings).
How many children in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich live in low income families?
DWP counts 3,340 (20.1% of under-16s) in relative low income after housing costs for 2024/25.
What is the population of Central Suffolk and North Ipswich?
The ONS estimate for mid-2024 is 96,582 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.