South Down: MP, 2024 result and local figures
Chris Hazzard (Sinn Féin) is the MP for South Down, elected at the general election of 4 July 2024. Chris Hazzard took the seat for Sinn Féin in July 2024 with 19,698 votes (43.5%), ahead of Colin McGrath (Social Democratic & Labour Party) on 10,418. Turnout, counted as valid votes over the electorate, was 59.3% (45,243 of 76,248); the winning margin was 9,280 votes.
Key figures
What the figures show
6,615 business sites were registered in South Down in March 2026 (6,565 a year before).
4,838 children in South Down were in relative low income families after housing costs in 2024/25, the Department for Work and Pensions estimates: 21.0% of under-16s, where the UK share is 26.0%. Before housing costs the share was 19.5% in 2024/25, from 18.8% in 2021/22.
In September 2026, 2.2% of 16 to 64 year olds in South Down were claimants (1,405 people). That is down from 1,635 twelve months before.
MP
Chris Hazzard, Sinn Féin
- MP for South Down since 4 July 2024
- In the House of Commons since 8 June 2017
Official UK Parliament page · Statements by Chris Hazzard on this site
In Parliament
No spoken contribution by Chris Hazzard was found in Hansard since 4 July 2024 when this page was built (28 October 2026). Search Hansard.
General election, 4 July 2024
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Change in share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Hazzard | Sinn Féin | 19,698 | 43.5% | +12.7 |
| Colin McGrath | Social Democratic & Labour Party | 10,418 | 23.0% | −4.2 |
| Diane Forsythe | Democratic Unionist Party | 7,349 | 16.2% | −1.9 |
| Andrew McMurray | Alliance | 3,187 | 7.0% | −6.8 |
| Jim Wells | Traditional Unionist Voice | 1,893 | 4.2% | |
| Michael O'Loan | Ulster Unionist Party | 1,411 | 3.1% | −4.6 |
| Rosemary McGlone | Aontú | 797 | 1.8% | −0.6 |
| Declan Walsh | Green Party Northern Ireland | 444 | 1.0% | |
| Hannah Westropp | Conservative | 46 | 0.1% |
Result summary as published: SF 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 | Sinn Féin 43.5% | Social Democratic & Labour Party 23.0% | 9,280 | 59.3% |
| 12 December 2019 | General election (notional result on these boundaries) | Sinn Féin 30.8% | Social Democratic & Labour Party 27.2% | 1,623 | 62.7% |
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
South Down covers wards in 2 local authority areas, listed by the number of wards in the constituency.
- Newry, Mourne and Down N09000010
- Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon N09000002
Who has power over South Down
Every body that makes decisions for South Down, 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
Community councils, where the area has them, sit below the council.
Level 5: Devolved and state governments
- Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive makes law for Northern Ireland on devolved subjects
Level 6: National government
- South Down this page: Chris Hazzard (Sinn Féin) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
"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 South Down?
UK Parliament lists Chris Hazzard, Sinn Féin, as the Member of Parliament for South Down since the July 2024 general election.
What was the 2024 general election result in South Down?
Chris Hazzard (Sinn Féin) won with 19,698 votes, a majority of 9,280, on a turnout of 59.3% (House of Commons Library).
What is the unemployment claimant rate in South Down?
2.2% of residents aged 16 to 64 in September 2026, 1,405 people, on the ONS claimant count.
How many children in South Down live in low income families?
DWP counts 4,838 (21.0% of under-16s) in relative low income after housing costs for 2024/25.
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.