Rochdale: MP, 2024 result and local figures
Rochdale is represented in the House of Commons by Paul Waugh (Labour (Co-op)). The 2024 count gave Paul Waugh (Labour) 13,027 votes and George Galloway (Workers Party of Britain) 11,587, a majority of 1,440. Turnout, counted as valid votes over the electorate, was 54.7% (39,688 of 72,507).
Key figures
What the figures show
On the official figures, Rochdale has the 32nd highest share of children in low income families after housing costs of the 650 constituencies with this figure (41.9%), and the 44th lowest employment rate of the 632 constituencies with this figure (65.5%).
DWP figures count 10,178 children under 16 in relative low income families after housing costs in 2024/25, 41.9% of children here against 26.0% across the UK. Before housing costs the share was 38.5% in 2024/25, from 39.1% in 2021/22.
Survey estimates for April 2025 to March 2026 have 65.5% of working-age residents in employment, within a margin of 6.0 points. The economically inactive share was 28.4%.
Homes in Rochdale sold for a median £190,000 in the year to March 2026, from HM Land Registry records compiled by the ONS. That is up 56% on £121,750 ten years before. The highest March-year median in the series was £195,000, in the year to March 2025. It ranks 78th lowest of 575 constituencies. The figure rests on 862 recorded sales.
Median annual pay for full-time work was £33,114 for jobs in Rochdale and £34,232 for its residents (April 2025, ASHE). A year before, the residents' median was £32,425. The residents' figure ranks 99th lowest of 632 constituencies with an estimate. The latest year is provisional.
Census 2021: 39,565 households, 1,290.9 people per square kilometre, 20.5% of workers based at home, 18.1% of adults retired.
3,830 business sites were registered in Rochdale in March 2026 (3,750 a year before), and employed 46,000 people in 2024.
Rochdale had an estimated population of 108,019 in mid-2024, against 97,370 in 2014 (ONS). There were more children under 16 (24,301) than residents aged 65 and over (15,844).
4,645 people were claiming unemployment-related benefits in September 2026, 6.8% of residents aged 16 to 64. September 2025 had 4,765.
MP
Paul Waugh, Labour (Co-op)
- MP for Rochdale since 4 July 2024
Official UK Parliament page · Statements by Paul Waugh on this site
In Parliament
Hansard records these as Paul Waugh's latest words in Parliament, from 14 September 2026 to 27 October 2026. Hansard search returns 276 spoken contributions by Paul Waugh since 4 July 2024.
My hon. Friend makes an important point, and I will certainly pass that on to the Minister for children and families. He is right that we need the capacity to match the requirements that we are imposing. My hon.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
I thank Members for attending and contributing to this debate. This is a deeply important subject, and I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Cannock Chase (Josh Newbury) for bringing it before us today.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
The updated standards that we have announced today will ensure that school food is delicious, nutritious and practical for schools.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
The Government’s SEND reforms will create a more inclusive school system, with fewer children needing to travel to access the quality education that they deserve. I take onboard the hon.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
My hon. Friend is a doughty champion for FE in his constituency, as are many Members across the House. He is right about FE, and many specialists who are engaged in teaching further education and vocational skills are addressing the point he raises.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Waugh | Labour | 13,027 | 32.8% | −18.0 |
| George Galloway | Workers Party of Britain | 11,587 | 29.2% | |
| Michael Howard | Reform UK | 6,773 | 17.1% | +8.9 |
| Paul Ellison | Conservative | 4,273 | 10.8% | −20.8 |
| Andy Kelly | Liberal Democrat | 2,816 | 7.1% | −0.4 |
| Martyn Savin | Green Party | 1,212 | 3.1% | +1.2 |
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 32.8% | Workers Party of Britain 29.2% | 1,440 | 54.7% |
| 12 December 2019 | General election (notional result on these boundaries) | Labour 50.8% | Conservative 31.6% | 8,109 | 58.7% |
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
Rochdale lies within Rochdale.
- Rochdale E08000005
Who has power over Rochdale
Every body that makes decisions for Rochdale, 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
- Rochdale this page: Paul Waugh (Labour (Co-op)) 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 Rochdale?
UK Parliament lists Paul Waugh, Labour (Co-op), as the Member of Parliament for Rochdale since the July 2024 general election.
What was the 2024 general election result in Rochdale?
Paul Waugh (Labour) won with 13,027 votes, a majority of 1,440, on a turnout of 54.7% (House of Commons Library).
What is the unemployment claimant rate in Rochdale?
6.8% of residents aged 16 to 64 in September 2026, 4,645 people, on the ONS claimant count.
What is the average house price in Rochdale?
The median price paid was £190,000 in the year to March 2026 (ONS, from HM Land Registry sales).
What is the average salary in Rochdale?
Median full-time pay of residents was £34,232 a year in April 2025 (ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings).
How many children in Rochdale live in low income families?
DWP counts 10,178 (41.9% of under-16s) in relative low income after housing costs for 2024/25.
What is the population of Rochdale?
The ONS estimate for mid-2024 is 108,019 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.