Dudley: MP, 2024 result and local figures
Sonia Kumar (Labour) is the MP for Dudley, elected at the general election of 4 July 2024. On 4 July 2024 Sonia Kumar (Labour) won 12,215 votes, 34.1% of the valid vote; Marco Longhi (Conservative) came second with 10,315. 35,796 valid votes were cast by an electorate of 70,151, 51.0% of those registered. The majority was 1,900.
Key figures
What the figures show
Compared with other constituencies, Dudley has the 32nd lowest share working mainly from home (2021) of the 575 constituencies with this figure (18.3%).
In 2024/25, 35.9% of children under 16 in Dudley (7,831) lived in relative low income families once housing costs are taken off, says the DWP; the UK figure is 26.0%. On the before-housing-costs measure it rose from 29.4% in 2021/22 to 31.7% in 2024/25.
Census 2021: 41,623 households, 3,563.6 people per square kilometre, 18.3% of workers based at home, 21.4% of adults retired.
Jobs based in Dudley paid more than its residents earned in April 2025: median full-time pay was £37,039 for workplace jobs and £34,711 for residents. In April 2024 the residents' figure was £33,818. The residents' figure ranks 123rd lowest of 632 constituencies with an estimate. The latest year is provisional.
The Annual Population Survey puts the employment rate for 16 to 64 year olds at 70.5% for April 2025 to March 2026, give or take 7.4 points. 23.7% were economically inactive.
Workplaces in Dudley accounted for 38,000 jobs in 2024; the business register lists 3,260 local units for March 2026.
The median price paid for a home was £220,000 in the year to March 2026 (ONS, from HM Land Registry data). Ten years earlier, in the year to March 2016, it was £127,000. It is the highest March-year median in the series, which starts in 1996. It ranks 145th lowest of 575 constituencies. 831 sales were registered in the period, against 973 in the year to March 2025.
The ONS estimates 104,687 people lived in Dudley in mid-2024, up 8.7% on 2014. 18,107 were aged 65 or over and 21,837 were under 16.
The claimant count for September 2026 was 3,610, or 5.6% of the working-age population. A year earlier the count was 3,690.
MP
Sonia Kumar, Labour
- MP for Dudley since 4 July 2024
Official UK Parliament page · Statements by Sonia Kumar on this site
In Parliament
The 5 most recent spoken contributions by Sonia Kumar in Hansard, from 15 October 2026 to 26 October 2026, quoted from the official report. Hansard search returns 197 spoken contributions by Sonia Kumar since 4 July 2024.
The police funding formula disadvantages towns such as Dudley. We know that visible policing in town centres is essential when rebuilding public trust. Does my right hon.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
Adam Bradley and James Bragg have opened the Forge youth centre in Dudley town centre, investing their own money, backed by the Government’s Pride in Place funding. That fantastic facility will help young people build skills, gain work and form lifelong relationships.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
I wholeheartedly support the Government’s ambition to buy British, and there should be no difference in defence. I take this opportunity to thank the Minister for his defence roundtable being held in Dudley later this year. Can my hon.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
9. What steps he is taking to support defence procurement companies in Dudley.
The month, the historic UNESCO Wren’s Nest celebrates 70 years. Will my right hon.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonia Kumar | Labour | 12,215 | 34.1% | +3.2 |
| Marco Longhi | Conservative | 10,315 | 28.8% | −34.3 |
| Andrew Southall | Reform UK | 9,442 | 26.4% | |
| Zia Qari | Green Party | 1,154 | 3.2% | +1.1 |
| Ian Flynn | Liberal Democrat | 1,056 | 3.0% | −0.8 |
| Shakeela Bibi | Independent | 857 | 2.4% | |
| Aftab Hussain | Workers Party of Britain | 621 | 1.7% | |
| Dharmanand Mortha | Independent | 136 | 0.4% |
Result summary as published: Lab gain from Con. 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 34.1% | Conservative 28.8% | 1,900 | 51.0% |
| 12 December 2019 | General election (notional result on these boundaries) | Conservative 63.2% | Labour 30.9% | 13,609 | 59.4% |
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
Dudley lies within Dudley.
- Dudley E08000027
Who has power over Dudley
Every body that makes decisions for Dudley, 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 3: Local councils
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
- Dudley this page: Sonia Kumar (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 Dudley?
Sonia Kumar (Labour), elected on 4 July 2024, according to UK Parliament records.
What was the 2024 general election result in Dudley?
The House of Commons Library records 12,215 votes for Sonia Kumar of Labour and a majority of 1,900; 51.0% of the electorate cast a valid vote.
What is the unemployment claimant rate in Dudley?
The ONS claimant count for September 2026 is 3,610, 5.6% of the 16 to 64 population.
What is the average house price in Dudley?
£220,000: the middle price of homes sold in the year to March 2026, published by the ONS from Land Registry records.
What is the average salary in Dudley?
For full-time employees living here the ONS puts median annual pay at £34,711 (April 2025).
How many children in Dudley live in low income families?
7,831 children under 16, 35.9%, after housing costs in 2024/25, according to the Department for Work and Pensions.
What is the population of Dudley?
104,687 in mid-2024, the latest ONS estimate.
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.