Luton South and South Bedfordshire: MP, 2024 result and local figures
The MP for Luton South and South Bedfordshire is Rachel Hopkins (Labour), returned on 4 July 2024. Rachel Hopkins took the seat for Labour in July 2024 with 13,593 votes (35.4%), ahead of Mark Versallion (Conservative) on 6,735. Turnout, counted as valid votes over the electorate, was 49.6% (38,382 of 77,312); the winning margin was 6,858 votes.
Key figures
What the figures show
Two figures set Luton South and South Bedfordshire apart: the 24th highest population of the 575 constituencies with this figure (134,115), and the 34th highest share of children in low income families after housing costs of the 650 constituencies with this figure (41.5%).
Luton South and South Bedfordshire had an estimated population of 134,115 in mid-2024, against 115,842 in 2014 (ONS). Children under 16 numbered 29,956; people aged 65 and over, 14,168.
12,417 children in Luton South and South Bedfordshire were in relative low income families after housing costs in 2024/25, the Department for Work and Pensions estimates: 41.5% of under-16s, where the UK share is 26.0%. Before housing costs the share was 31.8% in 2024/25, from 32.0% in 2021/22.
64.7% of residents aged 16 to 64 were in work in April 2025 to March 2026, on the Annual Population Survey estimate (95% confidence interval ±6.4 points). The economically inactive share was 29.6%.
6,475 business sites were registered in Luton South and South Bedfordshire in March 2026 (6,280 a year before), and employed 84,000 people in 2024.
Full-time employees living in Luton South and South Bedfordshire had median pay of £35,039 a year in April 2025; for jobs based in the constituency the median was £38,066. A year before, the residents' median was £32,993. The residents' figure ranks 152nd lowest of 632 constituencies with an estimate. The latest year is provisional.
Census 2021: 44,991 households, 1,226.5 people per square kilometre, 21.9% of workers based at home, 13.2% of adults retired.
Homes in Luton South and South Bedfordshire sold for a median £310,000 in the year to March 2026, from HM Land Registry records compiled by the ONS. That is up 55% on £200,000 ten years before. The highest March-year median in the series was £315,000, in the year to March 2025. It ranks 253rd highest of 575 constituencies. The figure rests on 886 recorded sales.
6,165 people were claiming unemployment-related benefits in September 2026, 6.9% of residents aged 16 to 64. That is down from 6,340 twelve months before.
MP
Rachel Hopkins, Labour
- MP for Luton South and South Bedfordshire since 4 July 2024
- In the House of Commons since 12 December 2019
Official UK Parliament page · Statements by Rachel Hopkins on this site
In Parliament
What Rachel Hopkins said most recently in Parliament, word for word from Hansard (from 22 June 2026 to 7 July 2026). Hansard search returns 226 spoken contributions by Rachel Hopkins since 4 July 2024.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Harris. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Bradford East (Imran Hussain) for securing this important debate. Luton South and South Bedfordshire is a vibrant and diverse area.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
I am glad to be able to contribute to this debate to give voice to a number of my constituents who have been suffering as a result of the feudal leasehold system for far too long. I thank the Chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, my hon.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
Q2. A good, safe and secure home is the foundation of everything, and access to a council home at social rent continues to be the biggest issue that my constituents get in touch with me about.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
Q10. Following last Friday’s train collision south of Bedford, the emergency response from Bedfordshire police, the British Transport police, Bedfordshire fire and rescue service, the East of England ambulance service, Magpas air ambulance and other counties’ air ambulances, our …
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
Train drivers keep our country running and help contribute billions to our economy; they get people to work, to their holidays and to see their friends and family; and they deliver the food for our supermarkets and the materials to build our houses and infrastructure.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
Read from the Hansard API on 28 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rachel Hopkins | Labour | 13,593 | 35.4% | −13.2 |
| Mark Versallion | Conservative | 6,735 | 17.5% | −17.7 |
| Attiq Malik | Independent | 5,384 | 14.0% | |
| Norman Maclean | Reform UK | 4,759 | 12.4% | +9.1 |
| Yasin Rehman | Workers Party of Britain | 3,110 | 8.1% | |
| Edward Carpenter | Green Party | 2,401 | 6.3% | +3.6 |
| Dominic Griffiths | Liberal Democrat | 2,400 | 6.3% | +5.8 |
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 35.4% | Conservative 17.6% | 6,858 | 49.7% |
| 12 December 2019 | General election (notional result on these boundaries) | Labour 48.7% | Conservative 35.2% | 6,066 | 64.3% |
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
Luton South and South Bedfordshire covers wards in 2 local authority areas, listed by the number of wards in the constituency.
- Luton E06000032
- Central Bedfordshire E06000056
Who has power over Luton South and South Bedfordshire
Every body that makes decisions for Luton South and South Bedfordshire, 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
- Luton South and South Bedfordshire this page: Rachel Hopkins (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 Luton South and South Bedfordshire?
UK Parliament lists Rachel Hopkins, Labour, as the Member of Parliament for Luton South and South Bedfordshire since the July 2024 general election.
What was the 2024 general election result in Luton South and South Bedfordshire?
Rachel Hopkins (Labour) won with 13,593 votes, a majority of 6,858, on a turnout of 49.6% (House of Commons Library).
What is the unemployment claimant rate in Luton South and South Bedfordshire?
6.9% of residents aged 16 to 64 in September 2026, 6,165 people, on the ONS claimant count.
What is the average house price in Luton South and South Bedfordshire?
The median price paid was £310,000 in the year to March 2026 (ONS, from HM Land Registry sales).
What is the average salary in Luton South and South Bedfordshire?
Median full-time pay of residents was £35,039 a year in April 2025 (ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings).
How many children in Luton South and South Bedfordshire live in low income families?
DWP counts 12,417 (41.5% of under-16s) in relative low income after housing costs for 2024/25.
What is the population of Luton South and South Bedfordshire?
The ONS estimate for mid-2024 is 134,115 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.