Gainsborough: MP, 2024 result and local figures
Sir Edward Leigh (Conservative) is the MP for Gainsborough, elected at the general election of 4 July 2024. The 2024 count gave Edward Leigh (Conservative) 16,636 votes and Jess McGuire (Labour) 13,104, a majority of 3,532. Turnout, counted as valid votes over the electorate, was 61.6% (46,685 of 75,836).
Key figures
What the figures show
On the official figures, Gainsborough has the 22nd lowest population density (2021) of the 575 constituencies with this figure (82.3 per sq km), and the 58th highest share of adults retired (2021) of the 575 constituencies with this figure (29.8%).
Gainsborough had an estimated population of 99,208 in mid-2024, against 91,273 in 2014 (ONS). 25,519 were aged 65 or over and 16,329 were under 16.
Homes in Gainsborough sold for a median £225,000 in the year to March 2026, from HM Land Registry records compiled by the ONS. That is up 50% on £150,000 ten years before. The highest March-year median in the series was £235,000, in the year to March 2025. It ranks 158th lowest of 575 constituencies. The figure rests on 1,383 recorded sales.
Survey estimates for April 2025 to March 2026 have 77.4% of working-age residents in employment, within a margin of 8.2 points. The economically inactive share was 22.6%.
4,195 business sites were registered in Gainsborough in March 2026 (4,140 a year before), and employed 29,000 people in 2024.
At the 2021 Census there were 42,345 households and 82.3 residents per square kilometre; 26.0% of workers mainly worked from home and 29.8% of residents aged 16 and over were retired.
DWP figures count 3,952 children under 16 in relative low income families after housing costs in 2024/25, 24.2% of children here against 26.0% across the UK. Before housing costs the share was 20.2% in 2024/25, from 18.8% in 2021/22.
Median annual pay for full-time work was £35,748 for jobs in Gainsborough and £38,377 for its residents (April 2025, ASHE). A year before, the residents' median was £34,904. The residents' figure ranks 308th highest of 632 constituencies with an estimate. The latest year is provisional.
1,810 people were claiming unemployment-related benefits in September 2026, 3.2% of residents aged 16 to 64. September 2025 had 1,595.
MP
Sir Edward Leigh, Conservative
- MP for Gainsborough since 4 July 2024
- In the House of Commons since 9 June 1983
Official UK Parliament page · Statements by Sir Edward Leigh on this site
In Parliament
Hansard records these as Sir Edward Leigh's latest words in Parliament, from 15 October 2026 to 26 October 2026. Hansard search returns 478 spoken contributions by Sir Edward Leigh since 4 July 2024.
Some people, including the Prime Minister, argue that the small boats crisis was caused by our leaving the EU. It started in 2018. In the two years before Brexit, only 289 small boat people were sent back under agreements. What is the solution?
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
I am very grateful to my good friend, the hon. Member for Wythenshawe and Sale East (Mike Kane), for that intervention. Actually, I see him on my fridge every night, from when we were introduced to Benedict XVI—there we were in the row.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
By the way, I just want to make the point that I love the Anglican Church. I love the fact that we have an established Church.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
For all intents and purposes, Diego Garcia is an American military base, but the Government claim that to protect it, we must basically sell it to Mauritius at vast cost.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
The average cost of a home in the Gainsborough constituency is just £204,000. Typically, someone spends three years in a care home in their lifetime, which will cost them £150,000. Everything over £23,000—the upper capital limit—is taken.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edward Leigh | Conservative | 16,636 | 35.6% | −30.7 |
| Jess McGuire | Labour | 13,104 | 28.1% | +6.9 |
| Pat O'Connor | Reform UK | 9,916 | 21.2% | |
| Lesley Rollings | Liberal Democrat | 5,001 | 10.7% | +0.4 |
| Vanessa Smith | Green Party | 1,832 | 3.9% | |
| Tim Mellors | Social Democratic Party | 196 | 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 35.6% | Labour 28.1% | 3,532 | 61.6% |
| 12 December 2019 | General election (notional result on these boundaries) | Conservative 66.3% | Labour 21.2% | 22,172 | 65.7% |
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
Gainsborough lies within West Lindsey.
- West Lindsey E07000142
Who has power over Gainsborough
Every body that makes decisions for Gainsborough, 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 4: County councils, combined authorities and metro mayors
- Lincolnshire County Council county council
- Greater Lincolnshire Combined Authority combined authority
- Lincolnshire Police police force
- NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board NHS
- United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust NHS
- East Midlands in official figures
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
- Gainsborough this page: Sir Edward Leigh (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 Gainsborough?
UK Parliament lists Sir Edward Leigh, Conservative, as the Member of Parliament for Gainsborough since the July 2024 general election.
What was the 2024 general election result in Gainsborough?
Edward Leigh (Conservative) won with 16,636 votes, a majority of 3,532, on a turnout of 61.6% (House of Commons Library).
What is the unemployment claimant rate in Gainsborough?
3.2% of residents aged 16 to 64 in September 2026, 1,810 people, on the ONS claimant count.
What is the average house price in Gainsborough?
The median price paid was £225,000 in the year to March 2026 (ONS, from HM Land Registry sales).
What is the average salary in Gainsborough?
Median full-time pay of residents was £38,377 a year in April 2025 (ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings).
How many children in Gainsborough live in low income families?
DWP counts 3,952 (24.2% of under-16s) in relative low income after housing costs for 2024/25.
What is the population of Gainsborough?
The ONS estimate for mid-2024 is 99,208 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.