South Ribble: MP, 2024 result and local figures
Mr Paul Foster (Labour) is the MP for South Ribble, elected at the general election of 4 July 2024. The 2024 count gave Paul Foster (Labour) 19,840 votes and Katherine Fletcher (Conservative) 13,339, a majority of 6,501. Turnout, counted as valid votes over the electorate, was 63.6% (46,720 of 73,420).
Key figures
What the figures show
South Ribble had an estimated population of 98,128 in mid-2024, against 93,008 in 2014 (ONS). 22,443 were aged 65 or over and 16,598 were under 16.
DWP figures count 3,194 children under 16 in relative low income families after housing costs in 2024/25, 19.2% of children here against 26.0% across the UK. Before housing costs the share was 15.8% in 2024/25, from 12.7% in 2021/22.
Homes in South Ribble sold for a median £235,000 in the year to March 2026, from HM Land Registry records compiled by the ONS. That is up 42% on £164,973 ten years before. It is the highest March-year median in the series, which starts in 1996. It ranks 188th lowest of 575 constituencies. The figure rests on 1,344 recorded sales.
4,060 business sites were registered in South Ribble in March 2026 (4,065 a year before), and employed 39,000 people in 2024.
Residents of South Ribble earned more than jobs based there paid in April 2025: median full-time pay was £35,539 for workplace jobs and £38,880 for residents. The residents' figure ranks 282nd highest of 632 constituencies with an estimate. The latest year is provisional.
The Annual Population Survey puts the employment rate for 16 to 64 year olds at 77.1% for April 2025 to March 2026, give or take 7.6 points. The economically inactive share was 18.1%.
1,310 people were claiming unemployment-related benefits in September 2026, 2.2% of residents aged 16 to 64. A year earlier the count was 1,250.
At the 2021 Census there were 40,379 households and 674.8 residents per square kilometre; 30.1% of workers mainly worked from home and 27.1% of residents aged 16 and over were retired.
MP
Mr Paul Foster, Labour
- MP for South Ribble since 4 July 2024
Official UK Parliament page · Statements by Mr Paul Foster on this site
In Parliament
Hansard records these as Mr Paul Foster's latest words in Parliament, from 15 September 2026 to 20 October 2026. Hansard search returns 79 spoken contributions by Mr Paul Foster since 4 July 2024.
Clause 19 introduces some quite fundamental changes, which I fully support, but is the Minister confident that it will still meet the requirements of the European convention on human rights? That is the litmus test.
The Minister mentioned magistrates. Magistrates are the backbone of our court structure, and they are not legally qualified. Does she agree that there is a huge precedent there and that magistrates do a great job?
Q I am just asking for your view on some of the evidence the Committee heard this morning. This is not Paul Foster’s view; it is the view of our witnesses. Professor Singer: I have not come across that myself. Jacqui McKenzie: I do not think that is right.
It was mentioned in the Committee’s evidence session this morning. Professor Singer: You can look at the most recent decisions from the Court of Appeal; for example, the decision on IA and others v.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
Q Could the Bill do more to legislate around cryptocurrency or should that be dealt with elsewhere? Helen Rance: I think that should be dealt with elsewhere.
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 Foster | Labour | 19,840 | 42.5% | +6.2 |
| Katherine Fletcher | Conservative | 13,339 | 28.6% | −25.0 |
| Andy Hunter | Reform UK | 8,995 | 19.3% | |
| Ange Turner | Liberal Democrat | 2,972 | 6.4% | −1.4 |
| Stephani Mok | Green Party | 1,574 | 3.4% | +0.9 |
Result summary as published: Lab gain from Con. 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 42.5% | Conservative 28.6% | 6,501 | 63.6% |
| 12 December 2019 | General election (notional result on these boundaries) | Conservative 53.5% | Labour 36.2% | 8,515 | 68.4% |
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 Ribble covers wards in 2 local authority areas, listed by the number of wards in the constituency.
- South Ribble E07000126
- Chorley E07000118
Who has power over South Ribble
Every body that makes decisions for South Ribble, 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
- South Ribble this page: Mr Paul Foster (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 South Ribble?
UK Parliament lists Mr Paul Foster, Labour, as the Member of Parliament for South Ribble since the July 2024 general election.
What was the 2024 general election result in South Ribble?
Paul Foster (Labour) won with 19,840 votes, a majority of 6,501, on a turnout of 63.6% (House of Commons Library).
What is the unemployment claimant rate in South Ribble?
2.2% of residents aged 16 to 64 in September 2026, 1,310 people, on the ONS claimant count.
What is the average house price in South Ribble?
The median price paid was £235,000 in the year to March 2026 (ONS, from HM Land Registry sales).
What is the average salary in South Ribble?
Median full-time pay of residents was £38,880 a year in April 2025 (ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings).
How many children in South Ribble live in low income families?
DWP counts 3,194 (19.2% of under-16s) in relative low income after housing costs for 2024/25.
What is the population of South Ribble?
The ONS estimate for mid-2024 is 98,128 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.