# Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley

Central Yorkshire and The Humber. About 105,115 people (mid-2024 estimate) in 74 square kilometres.

Yvette Cooper has been the Labour MP for Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley since July 2024. They won by 6,630 votes on a 48.2% turnout.

Constituency. Code E14001428. In: [Yorkshire and The Humber](https://openindex.co.uk/yorkshire-and-the-humber)

## MP and the 2024 result

Yvette Cooper has been the Labour MP for Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley since July 2024.
They won by 6,630 votes on a 48.2% turnout.

MP: [Yvette Cooper](https://members.parliament.uk/member/420) (Labour).

### General election, 4 July 2024: Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley

| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Yvette Cooper (elected) | Labour | 17,089 | 47.5% |
| John Thomas | Reform UK | 10,459 | 29.1% |
| Laura Weldon | Conservative | 5,406 | 15.0% |
| Olli Watkins | Green Party | 1,651 | 4.6% |
| Jamie Needle | Liberal Democrat | 1,213 | 3.4% |
| Trevor Lake | Social Democratic Party | 139 | 0.4% |

Electorate 74,618. Turnout 48.2%. Majority 6,630 (18.4%). Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0. Source: House of Commons Library, UK Parliament election results. https://electionresults.parliament.uk/elections/3707

MP as of 18 October 2026. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0. Source: UK Parliament, Members API.

## Key figures

- **Majority, 2024 general election: 18.4%** (July 2024). The winner in Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley had a majority of 18.4% of valid votes at the general election on 4 July 2024 (House of Commons Library). Joint 233rd largest majority of 650. Source: UK Parliament election results, July 2024. Published 4 July 2024. https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/pontefract-castleford-and-knottingley#f-ge2024-majority
- **Turnout, 2024 general election: 48.2%** (July 2024). Turnout in Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley at the general election on 4 July 2024 was 48.2% (House of Commons Library). Joint 39th lowest turnout of 650. Source: UK Parliament election results, July 2024. Published 4 July 2024. https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/pontefract-castleford-and-knottingley#f-ge2024-turnout
- **Population: 100,931** (2021). Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley had 100,931 usual residents at the census (ONS Census 2021). 322nd least populated of 650. Source: Census 2021, England and Wales and Scotland's Census 2022 and Census 2021, Northern Ireland, 2021. Published 21 July 2026. https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/pontefract-castleford-and-knottingley#f-population
- **People in radon Affected Area squares: 99%** (2022). About 99% of people in Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area. UK 44%. Source: Worked out by Open Index from the UKHSA and BGS radon atlas and census output areas. Published 1 December 2022. https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/pontefract-castleford-and-knottingley#f-radon-affected-share

## On the map

- [Radon Affected Area by constituency](https://openindex.co.uk/map/radon-affected-areas?place=E14001428) (Worked out by Open Index · 2022): About 99% of people in Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area.
- [Average house price by council](https://openindex.co.uk/map/house-prices?place=E14001428) (UK House Price Index · August 2026): Published for whole councils, so the map colours all of Wakefield, where most of this constituency lies. The outline is Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley.
- [Crime and ASB by council](https://openindex.co.uk/map/recorded-crime?place=E14001428) (Police recorded crime and outcomes (data.police.uk) · August 2026): Published for whole councils, so the map colours all of Wakefield, where most of this constituency lies. The outline is Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley.
- [Population by constituency](https://openindex.co.uk/map/population?place=E14001428) (Census 2021, England and Wales): Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley had 100,931 usual residents at the census.

## How Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley compares

Each constituency against every other constituency the measure covers.

| Measure | Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley | Rank | Compared with |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Majority, 2024 general election | 18.4% | joint 233rd largest majority | 650 constituencies, UK · Jul 2024 |
| Turnout, 2024 general election | 48.2% | joint 39th lowest turnout | 650 constituencies, UK · Jul 2024 |
| Population | 100,931 | 322nd least populated | 650 constituencies, UK · 2021 |
| People in radon Affected Area squares | 99% | joint 41st most people in radon Affected Areas | 650 constituencies, UK · 2022 |

## What is the population of Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley?

Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley had 100,931 usual residents at the census.
Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley is the 322nd least populated of 650 in the UK.

## Figures for the whole of Wakefield

Most of Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley lies in Wakefield. These figures are published for the whole of Wakefield, not for constituencies, so they describe the council and not Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley itself. [See Wakefield](https://openindex.co.uk/wakefield)

- **Average house price: £199,283** (August 2026). Wakefield’s average house price was £199,283 in August 2026 (HM Land Registry). Up 2.9% in a year. Source: UK House Price Index, August 2026. Published 21 October 2026.
- **Median full-time pay: £34,400** (2025). Full-time workers living in Wakefield earned a median of £34,400 in 2025 (ONS earnings survey). 41st lowest paid of 348. Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025. Published 23 October 2025.
- **House price to pay: 5.8×** (2025). A home in Wakefield costs 5.8 times local full-time pay. Joint 78th most affordable of 348. Source: Worked out by Open Index from the UK House Price Index and the ONS earnings survey. Published 21 October 2026.
- **Deprivation score: 27.2** (2025). Wakefield has a deprivation score of 27.2 in the English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG). 59th most deprived of 296. Source: English Indices of Deprivation 2025, 2025. Published 30 October 2025.

## Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley in brief

The winner in Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley had a majority of 18.4% of valid votes at the general election on 4 July 2024.
Turnout in Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley at the general election on 4 July 2024 was 48.2%.
Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley had 100,931 usual residents at the census.
About 99% of people in Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area.

## About

- Type: Constituency
- Code: E14001428
- Council: [Wakefield †](https://openindex.co.uk/wakefield)
- Region: [Yorkshire and The Humber](https://openindex.co.uk/yorkshire-and-the-humber)
- Nation: [England](https://openindex.co.uk/england)
- Area: 73.51 km²
- People, mid-2024: 105,115*
- Wards: 6
- Middle areas: 12
- Neighbourhoods: 61
- Output areas: 335

* People: worked out by Open Index from neighbourhood estimates, shared out by where people lived at the census (by area in Northern Ireland). This area's edges do not follow neighbourhood edges, so the figure is close but not exact.
† Best fit: the council this constituency mostly lies in. Its edges do not follow it.

## Next door

[Selby](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/selby), [Normanton and Hemsworth](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/normanton-and-hemsworth), [Wakefield and Rothwell](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/wakefield-and-rothwell)

## Similar places

Constituencies with the closest mix of age and density. [Barnsley South](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/barnsley-south), [Warrington South](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/warrington-south), [Wellingborough and Rushden](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/wellingborough-and-rushden), [Reigate](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/reigate), [Nuneaton](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/nuneaton), [Barnsley North](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/barnsley-north).

## Latest updates for Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley

- August 2026 house prices published: HM Land Registry and partners · Oct 2026.
- September 2026 rent published: ONS private rents · Oct 2026.
- Dental practices updated: NHS England · Oct 2026.
- Schools updated: Ofsted · Oct 2026.

The same figures as JSON: https://openindex.co.uk/v1/places/E14001428

## How to cite

Source: Open Index, openindex.co.uk. Link to this page, https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/pontefract-castleford-and-knottingley, or to one figure with its anchor, https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/pontefract-castleford-and-knottingley#f-ge2024-majority.

Open Index's own text and the figures it works out are licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Source data keeps its publishers' licences, named with each figure. Give each figure's period and source with it.

Snapshot 2026.10.9. The HTML page: https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/pontefract-castleford-and-knottingley