South Suffolk: MP, 2024 result and local figures
South Suffolk is represented in the House of Commons by James Cartlidge (Conservative). James Cartlidge took the seat for Conservative in July 2024 with 16,082 votes (33.0%), ahead of Emma Bishton (Labour) on 13,035. Turnout, counted as valid votes over the electorate, was 65.4% (48,801 of 74,619); the winning margin was 3,047 votes.
Key figures
What the figures show
Two figures set South Suffolk apart: the 22nd lowest median full-time pay for jobs based here of the 632 constituencies with this figure (£30,929 a year), and the 53rd highest share of adults retired (2021) of the 575 constituencies with this figure (30.0%).
South Suffolk had an estimated population of 97,033 in mid-2024, against 88,999 in 2014 (ONS). There were more residents aged 65 and over (26,323) than children under 16 (15,434).
Residents of South Suffolk earned more than jobs based there paid in April 2025: median full-time pay was £30,929 for workplace jobs and £33,904 for residents. A year before, the residents' median was £36,798. The residents' figure ranks 83rd lowest of 632 constituencies with an estimate. The latest year is provisional.
Homes in South Suffolk sold for a median £325,000 in the year to March 2026, from HM Land Registry records compiled by the ONS. That is up 35% on £239,950 ten years before. The highest March-year median in the series was £342,250, in the year to March 2023. It ranks 221st highest of 575 constituencies. The figure rests on 1,219 recorded sales.
The Annual Population Survey puts the employment rate for 16 to 64 year olds at 75.4% for April 2025 to March 2026, give or take 8.0 points. The economically inactive share was 20.7%.
3,587 children in South Suffolk were in relative low income families after housing costs in 2024/25, the Department for Work and Pensions estimates: 23.2% of under-16s, where the UK share is 26.0%. Before housing costs the share was 16.0% in 2024/25, from 14.5% in 2021/22.
1,330 people were claiming unemployment-related benefits in September 2026, 2.4% of residents aged 16 to 64. A year earlier the count was 1,220.
4,725 business sites were registered in South Suffolk in March 2026 (4,690 a year before), and employed 33,000 people in 2024.
South Suffolk counted 40,200 households on Census day 2021; 30.0% of adults were retired and 30.7% of those in work were mostly working from home.
MP
James Cartlidge, Conservative
- MP for South Suffolk since 4 July 2024
- In the House of Commons since 7 May 2015
Official UK Parliament page · Statements by James Cartlidge on this site
In Parliament
What James Cartlidge said most recently in Parliament, word for word from Hansard (from 6 July 2026 to 19 October 2026). Hansard search returns 299 spoken contributions by James Cartlidge since 4 July 2024.
The Chancellor resigned then to go to 3% on defence. Bearing that in mind, on the same day, the Secretary of State also appeared on Times Radio and was asked by Adam Boulton if a failure to deliver on defence spending would be a resignation issue for him, as it had been for the …
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
As it is the first time we have debated, may I begin by welcoming the new Secretary of State to his position?
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
On the day of its publication in June 2025, the headline promise of Labour’s strategic defence review was a commitment to buy “up to 12 attack submarines”.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
This is not good enough. The defence investment plan has completely unravelled because, despite it being many months late, the Government still have not worked out where they are going to get the money from.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
May I echo your sentiments, Mr Speaker, about Sir George Howarth, and pass on the Opposition’s condolences to his family and friends? Also, for their first oral questions, I welcome the new Ministers to the Front-Bench team.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Cartlidge | Conservative | 16,082 | 33.0% | −29.1 |
| Emma Bishton | Labour | 13,035 | 26.7% | +7.5 |
| Beverley England | Reform UK | 9,252 | 19.0% | |
| Tom Bartleet | Liberal Democrat | 6,424 | 13.2% | +0.5 |
| Jessie Carter | Green Party | 4,008 | 8.2% | +2.2 |
Result summary as published: Con 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 | Conservative 33.0% | Labour 26.7% | 3,047 | 65.4% |
| 12 December 2019 | General election (notional result on these boundaries) | Conservative 62.1% | Labour 19.2% | 21,473 | 70.5% |
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 Suffolk lies within Babergh.
- Babergh E07000200
Who has power over South Suffolk
Every body that makes decisions for South Suffolk, 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
- South Suffolk this page: James Cartlidge (Conservative) 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 Suffolk?
UK Parliament lists James Cartlidge, Conservative, as the Member of Parliament for South Suffolk since the July 2024 general election.
What was the 2024 general election result in South Suffolk?
James Cartlidge (Conservative) won with 16,082 votes, a majority of 3,047, on a turnout of 65.4% (House of Commons Library).
What is the unemployment claimant rate in South Suffolk?
2.4% of residents aged 16 to 64 in September 2026, 1,330 people, on the ONS claimant count.
What is the average house price in South Suffolk?
The median price paid was £325,000 in the year to March 2026 (ONS, from HM Land Registry sales).
What is the average salary in South Suffolk?
Median full-time pay of residents was £33,904 a year in April 2025 (ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings).
How many children in South Suffolk live in low income families?
DWP counts 3,587 (23.2% of under-16s) in relative low income after housing costs for 2024/25.
What is the population of South Suffolk?
The ONS estimate for mid-2024 is 97,033 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.