Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare: MP, 2024 result and local figures
Gerald Jones (Labour) is the MP for Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare, elected at the general election of 4 July 2024. The 2024 count gave Gerald Jones (Labour) 15,791 votes and Gareth Thomas (Reform UK) 8,344, a majority of 7,447. 35,215 valid votes were cast by an electorate of 74,460, 47.3% of those registered.
Key figures
What the figures show
On the official figures, Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare has the 18th lowest median full-time pay for jobs based here of the 632 constituencies with this figure (£30,725 a year), and the 19th lowest median house price of the 575 constituencies with this figure (£153,000).
The median price paid for a home was £153,000 in the year to March 2026 (ONS, from HM Land Registry data). Ten years earlier, in the year to March 2016, it was £89,000. It is the highest March-year median in the series, which starts in 1996. It ranks 19th lowest of 575 constituencies. 1,003 sales were registered in the period, against 1,152 in the year to March 2025.
Workplaces in Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare accounted for 33,000 jobs in 2024; the business register lists 2,775 local units for March 2026.
Survey estimates for April 2025 to March 2026 have 68.3% of working-age residents in employment, within a margin of 4.4 points. 28.6% were economically inactive.
Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare counted 43,830 households on Census day 2021; 23.1% of adults were retired and 18.7% of those in work were mostly working from home.
Median annual pay for full-time work was £30,725 for jobs in Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare and £34,818 for its residents (April 2025, ASHE). In April 2024 the residents' figure was £31,164. The residents' figure ranks 133rd lowest of 632 constituencies with an estimate. The latest year is provisional.
The ONS estimates 100,531 people lived in Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare in mid-2024, up 2.3% on 2014. 20,304 were aged 65 or over and 18,439 were under 16.
DWP figures count 5,268 children under 16 in relative low income families after housing costs in 2024/25, 28.6% of children here against 26.0% across the UK. On the before-housing-costs measure it rose from 24.2% in 2021/22 to 25.0% in 2024/25.
The claimant count for September 2026 was 2,180, or 3.5% of the working-age population. September 2025 had 2,065.
MP
Gerald Jones, Labour
- MP for Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare since 4 July 2024
- In the House of Commons since 7 May 2015
Official UK Parliament page · Statements by Gerald Jones on this site
In Parliament
Hansard records these as Gerald Jones's latest words in Parliament, from 13 July 2026 to 14 October 2026. Hansard search returns 33 spoken contributions by Gerald Jones since 4 July 2024.
The 60th anniversary of the Aberfan disaster, which claimed the lives of 116 children and 28 adults, will be marked on 21 October. In the coming days, the community will mark the occasion with a range of events.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
Both towns in my constituency have lost a number of banks and building societies, making access to cash really difficult.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
The Plaid Cymru Welsh Government marked their first 100 days in office last week with little fanfare—their achievements to date seem to be setting up Committees and commissioning reports, rather than focusing on the needs of the people of Wales.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
Many of my constituents want tougher action against the criminals who hide behind businesses such as rogue barber shops, vape shops and mini-marts, which are a blight on many high streets in my constituency.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
15. What assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the high streets organised crime unit.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gerald Jones | Labour | 15,791 | 44.8% | −6.9 |
| Gareth Thomas | Reform UK | 8,344 | 23.7% | +13.0 |
| Francis Whitefoot | Plaid Cymru | 4,768 | 13.5% | +5.4 |
| Amanda Jenner | Conservative | 2,687 | 7.6% | −13.0 |
| Jade Smith | Liberal Democrat | 1,276 | 3.6% | +0.3 |
| Peter Griffin | Green Party | 1,231 | 3.5% | |
| Anthony Cole | Workers Party of Britain | 531 | 1.5% | |
| Lorezo De Gregori | Independent | 375 | 1.1% | |
| Bob Davenport | Communist Party of Britain | 212 | 0.6% |
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 44.8% | Reform UK 23.7% | 7,447 | 47.3% |
| 12 December 2019 | General election (notional result on these boundaries) | Labour 51.7% | Conservative 20.6% | 13,410 | 57.6% |
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
Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare covers wards in 2 local authority areas, listed by the number of wards in the constituency.
- Merthyr Tydfil W06000024
- Rhondda Cynon Taf W06000016
Who has power over Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare
Every body that makes decisions for Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare, 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
- Senedd and Welsh Government makes law for Wales on devolved subjects
Level 6: National government
- Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare this page: Gerald Jones (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 Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare?
Gerald Jones (Labour), elected on 4 July 2024, according to UK Parliament records.
What was the 2024 general election result in Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare?
The House of Commons Library records 15,791 votes for Gerald Jones of Labour and a majority of 7,447; 47.3% of the electorate cast a valid vote.
What is the unemployment claimant rate in Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare?
The ONS claimant count for September 2026 is 2,180, 3.5% of the 16 to 64 population.
What is the average house price in Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare?
£153,000: 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 Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare?
For full-time employees living here the ONS puts median annual pay at £34,818 (April 2025).
How many children in Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare live in low income families?
5,268 children under 16, 28.6%, after housing costs in 2024/25, according to the Department for Work and Pensions.
What is the population of Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare?
100,531 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.