East Thanet: MP, 2024 result and local figures
Ms Polly Billington (Labour) is the MP for East Thanet, elected at the general election of 4 July 2024. On 4 July 2024 Polly Billington (Labour) won 17,054 votes, 39.9% of the valid vote; Helen Harrison (Conservative) came second with 10,083. Turnout, counted as valid votes over the electorate, was 57.0% (42,713 of 74,927); the winning margin was 6,971 votes.
Key figures
What the figures show
In 2024/25, 36.9% of children under 16 in East Thanet (7,271) lived in relative low income families once housing costs are taken off, says the DWP; the UK figure is 26.0%. Before housing costs the share was 23.8% in 2024/25, from 22.4% in 2021/22.
Full-time employees living in East Thanet had median pay of £34,350 a year in April 2025; for jobs based in the constituency the median was £35,025. A year before, the residents' median was £35,838. The residents' figure ranks 105th lowest of 632 constituencies with an estimate. The latest year is provisional.
70.7% of residents aged 16 to 64 were in work in April 2025 to March 2026, on the Annual Population Survey estimate (95% confidence interval ±8.5 points). The economically inactive share was 24.2%.
At the 2021 Census there were 46,212 households and 3,255.6 residents per square kilometre; 23.9% of workers mainly worked from home and 26.2% of residents aged 16 and over were retired.
4,010 business sites were registered in East Thanet in March 2026 (3,900 a year before), and employed 33,000 people in 2024.
East Thanet had an estimated population of 106,234 in mid-2024, against 104,815 in 2014 (ONS). 23,530 were aged 65 or over and 19,710 were under 16.
Homes in East Thanet sold for a median £280,000 in the year to March 2026, from HM Land Registry records compiled by the ONS. That is up 58% on £177,000 ten years before. The highest March-year median in the series was £305,000, in the year to March 2023. It ranks 286th lowest of 575 constituencies. The figure rests on 1,270 recorded sales.
3,585 people were claiming unemployment-related benefits in September 2026, 5.7% of residents aged 16 to 64. That is up from 3,295 twelve months before.
MP
Ms Polly Billington, Labour
- MP for East Thanet since 4 July 2024
Official UK Parliament page · Statements by Ms Polly Billington on this site
In Parliament
The 5 most recent spoken contributions by Ms Polly Billington in Hansard, from 15 July 2026 to 13 October 2026, quoted from the official report. Hansard search returns 285 spoken contributions by Ms Polly Billington since 4 July 2024.
My hon. Friend is right that local authorities—in England, in particular—are the ones making the decisions about how they use the crisis and resilience fund money allocated to them in order to support heating-oil households. However, they should be on notice from us.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
It is important to make it clear what kind of proposals we are considering taking forward.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
I thank the right hon. Gentleman for his intervention. It is very clear. As I said, we absolutely stand by our commitment. The previous Energy Secretary, my right hon.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
I thank the right hon. Gentleman for his intervention, and I am sure we will continue to have conversations about this. Our manifesto commitment is absolutely to make sure that we have lower energy bills in the future.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for coming to the House and providing clarity and reassurance that the allegations will be taken seriously, but does he agree that alongside the transparency of this process comes the need for responsible reporting and a responsible Opposition?
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polly Billington | Labour | 17,054 | 39.9% | +2.3 |
| Helen Harrison | Conservative | 10,083 | 23.6% | −29.8 |
| Paul Webb | Reform UK | 8,591 | 20.1% | |
| Steve Roberts | Green Party | 4,590 | 10.7% | +7.0 |
| Jai Singh | Liberal Democrat | 1,365 | 3.2% | −2.0 |
| Grahame Birchall | Independent | 563 | 1.3% | |
| Paul Holton | Independent | 369 | 0.9% | |
| Mo Shafaei | Independent | 98 | 0.2% |
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 39.9% | Conservative 23.6% | 6,971 | 57.0% |
| 12 December 2019 | General election (notional result on these boundaries) | Conservative 53.5% | Labour 37.6% | 7,585 | 65.0% |
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
East Thanet lies within Thanet.
- Thanet E07000114
Who has power over East Thanet
Every body that makes decisions for East Thanet, 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
- East Thanet this page: Ms Polly Billington (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 East Thanet?
UK Parliament lists Ms Polly Billington, Labour, as the Member of Parliament for East Thanet since the July 2024 general election.
What was the 2024 general election result in East Thanet?
Polly Billington (Labour) won with 17,054 votes, a majority of 6,971, on a turnout of 57.0% (House of Commons Library).
What is the unemployment claimant rate in East Thanet?
5.7% of residents aged 16 to 64 in September 2026, 3,585 people, on the ONS claimant count.
What is the average house price in East Thanet?
The median price paid was £280,000 in the year to March 2026 (ONS, from HM Land Registry sales).
What is the average salary in East Thanet?
Median full-time pay of residents was £34,350 a year in April 2025 (ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings).
How many children in East Thanet live in low income families?
DWP counts 7,271 (36.9% of under-16s) in relative low income after housing costs for 2024/25.
What is the population of East Thanet?
The ONS estimate for mid-2024 is 106,234 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.