Southend West and Leigh: MP, 2024 result and local figures
David Burton-Sampson (Labour) is the MP for Southend West and Leigh, elected at the general election of 4 July 2024. On 4 July 2024 David Burton-Sampson (Labour) won 16,739 votes, 35.6% of the valid vote; Anna Firth (Conservative) came second with 14,790. Turnout, counted as valid votes over the electorate, was 62.5% (46,968 of 75,154); the winning margin was 1,949 votes.
Key figures
What the figures show
On the official figures, Southend West and Leigh has the 7th lowest median full-time pay for jobs based here of the 632 constituencies with this figure (£29,949 a year).
81.5% of residents aged 16 to 64 were in work in April 2025 to March 2026, on the Annual Population Survey estimate (95% confidence interval ±4.2 points). The economically inactive share was 15.4%.
Full-time employees living in Southend West and Leigh had median pay of £43,838 a year in April 2025; for jobs based in the constituency the median was £29,949. A year before, the residents' median was £42,811. The residents' figure ranks 124th highest of 632 constituencies with an estimate. The latest year is provisional.
Homes in Southend West and Leigh sold for a median £362,000 in the year to March 2026, from HM Land Registry records compiled by the ONS. That is up 50% on £242,000 ten years before. It is the highest March-year median in the series, which starts in 1996. It ranks 170th highest of 575 constituencies. The figure rests on 1,294 recorded sales.
Census 2021: 43,928 households, 4,451.0 people per square kilometre, 35.5% of workers based at home, 23.6% of adults retired.
Southend West and Leigh had an estimated population of 105,018 in mid-2024, against 102,447 in 2014 (ONS). 21,228 were aged 65 or over and 19,971 were under 16.
In 2024/25, 23.3% of children under 16 in Southend West and Leigh (4,659) lived in relative low income families once housing costs are taken off, says the DWP; the UK figure is 26.0%. Before housing costs the share was 14.3% in 2024/25, from 13.1% in 2021/22.
2,065 people were claiming unemployment-related benefits in September 2026, 3.2% of residents aged 16 to 64. That is up from 2,025 twelve months before.
4,620 business sites were registered in Southend West and Leigh in March 2026 (4,535 a year before), and employed 36,000 people in 2024.
MP
David Burton-Sampson, Labour
- MP for Southend West and Leigh since 4 July 2024
Official UK Parliament page · Statements by David Burton-Sampson on this site
In Parliament
The 5 most recent spoken contributions by David Burton-Sampson in Hansard, from 15 October 2026 to 26 October 2026, quoted from the official report. Hansard search returns 145 spoken contributions by David Burton-Sampson since 4 July 2024.
My hon. Friend makes a fantastic point. The CWU, too, is deeply concerned about the differences in contracts, and it is working with Royal Mail towards contract harmonisation.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
I share those concerns. We have heard from Members across the House tonight that many people feel that Royal Mail is putting the service into a managed decline. We have to fight against that.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
Last night, I joined the 1987 Committee, set up by the fantastic Fatima Kamara and her team. As hon. Members can tell from its name, it recognises the year—that historic year—in which the Mother of the House, my right hon.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
My hon. Friend reminds me of my grandad, who came here from British Guiana to serve in the second world war, and my great-grandad, who arrived here from Liberia in 1925 and also served this country in the second world war.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
As the shadow Leader of the House and the Leader of the House have pointed out, today is the fifth anniversary of the tragic murder of Sir David Amess in my constituency.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Burton-Sampson | Labour | 16,739 | 35.6% | +6.6 |
| Anna Firth | Conservative | 14,790 | 31.5% | −27.6 |
| Peter Little | Reform UK | 8,273 | 17.6% | |
| Tilly Hogrebe | Green Party | 3,262 | 6.9% | |
| Stephen Cummins | Liberal Democrat | 3,174 | 6.8% | −3.8 |
| James Miller | Confelicity | 262 | 0.6% | |
| Tom Darwood | Independent | 172 | 0.4% | |
| Jason Pilley | Psychedelic Movement | 99 | 0.2% | |
| Lara Hurley | Heritage Party | 99 | 0.2% | |
| Robert Francis | Independent | 98 | 0.2% |
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 35.6% | Conservative 31.5% | 1,949 | 62.5% |
| 12 December 2019 | General election (notional result on these boundaries) | Conservative 59.1% | Labour 29.0% | 15,454 | 66.9% |
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
Southend West and Leigh lies within Southend-on-Sea.
- Southend-on-Sea E06000033
Who has power over Southend West and Leigh
Every body that makes decisions for Southend West and Leigh, 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
- Southend West and Leigh this page: David Burton-Sampson (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 Southend West and Leigh?
UK Parliament lists David Burton-Sampson, Labour, as the Member of Parliament for Southend West and Leigh since the July 2024 general election.
What was the 2024 general election result in Southend West and Leigh?
David Burton-Sampson (Labour) won with 16,739 votes, a majority of 1,949, on a turnout of 62.5% (House of Commons Library).
What is the unemployment claimant rate in Southend West and Leigh?
3.2% of residents aged 16 to 64 in September 2026, 2,065 people, on the ONS claimant count.
What is the average house price in Southend West and Leigh?
The median price paid was £362,000 in the year to March 2026 (ONS, from HM Land Registry sales).
What is the average salary in Southend West and Leigh?
Median full-time pay of residents was £43,838 a year in April 2025 (ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings).
How many children in Southend West and Leigh live in low income families?
DWP counts 4,659 (23.3% of under-16s) in relative low income after housing costs for 2024/25.
What is the population of Southend West and Leigh?
The ONS estimate for mid-2024 is 105,018 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.