Constituency profile

Bethnal Green and Stepney

London · Borough constituency · Tower Hamlets borough

Rushanara Ali MP
Sitting MP

Rushanara Ali

Labour

First elected May 2010

Current PollCheck projection

Region & type
London
Borough constituency, Tower Hamlets council
Last 5 GE winners
LLLLL
Labour 5/5
EU referendum 2016
32.5% Leave
UK average 51.9%; -19.4pp below mean
Current outlook
Others +21.3pp
Vulnerability score 10/10 (Labour projected to lose)
LondonStrong Remain areaGraduate-heavyDiverse

About the Bethnal Green and Stepney constituency

Bethnal Green and Stepney is a borough constituency in London, covering most or all of Tower Hamlets. The sitting MP is Rushanara Ali (Labour), first elected in May 2010.

At the 2024 general election, Labour won Bethnal Green and Stepney with 34.1% of the vote, ahead of other parties on 33.6%, a majority of 1,689 votes. Turnout was 57.3%.

If a general election were held today, PollCheck's projection at the current seven-poll average has other parties on 45.2% and the Greens on 23.9% in Bethnal Green and Stepney, a margin of 21.3 points, a projected change from Labour since 2024. The projection updates automatically as new polls are added.

Demographically, Bethnal Green and Stepney is a strongly Remain-voting area (an estimated 32.5% voted Leave in 2016). About 46.5% of residents hold a degree, 20.4% of homes are owner-occupied, and the seat has a median age of about 30 (2021 Census).

Across the most recent general elections on record here, the seat has been won by Labour each time.

Who lives in Bethnal Green and Stepney? Constituency demographics

From the 2021 Census and 2016 EU referendum estimates. Constituency-level data on 2024 boundaries.

Leave vote 2016
32.5%
UK average ~52%
Degree or above
46.5%
UK average ~34%
No qualifications
18.0%
UK average ~18%
Owner-occupied
20.4%
UK average ~63%
Renting (social + private)
76.8%
UK average ~36%
Median age
30.1
UK median ~40
Age 65+
7.3%
UK average ~19%
Age 18-34
53.6%
UK average ~28%

How did Bethnal Green and Stepney vote in 2024 and how would it vote now?

2024 vote shares from the HoC Library. Current projection is at the 7-poll average.

2024 general election

Lab hold · majority 1,689 votes (0.5pp) · turnout 57.3%

Current projection

If a general election were held today, at current poll average

Map of Bethnal Green and Stepney

Switch between ward-level 2024 election winners and a demographic view. Ward winners are Britain Elects' / New Statesman modelled estimates with an average ~4pp margin of error per ward. The demographic view splits the seat into small neighbourhoods (around 1,500 residents each, from the 2021 Census). Hover any area for detail.

Council layer (not Westminster)

Bethnal Green and Stepney within Tower Hamlets

The Westminster constituency of Bethnal Green and Stepney sits entirely within Tower Hamlets Council. Local council elections are a separate ballot from Westminster general elections - the figures below are from the council elections held on Thursday 7 May 2026.

Council overlap

CouncilShare of seatProjection
Tower Hamlets
69 LSOAs
100%View projection ›

Most recent council ward results

Latest council winner per ward. Where the council held a May 2026 election, those results are shown; otherwise we show the most recent available ward result (via DCLEAPIL, 2014-2024), or, where the seat was uncontested at the last election, the current sitting councillor from OpenCouncilData. The "Shift since GE2024" column is only computed for May 2026 results - earlier council votes pre-date the GE, so no directional shift is shown.

Ward GE2024 winner Latest council winner Shift since GE2024 Turnout

Projection trajectory

PollCheck's projection for Bethnal Green and Stepney at each of the last 60 GB polls. Hover the chart for the underlying poll details.

Who has won Bethnal Green and Stepney at past general elections?

2024 result is on current boundaries. The 2019 row is the UK Parliament's notional recalculation onto the 2024 boundaries (directly comparable to 2024). The 2010, 2015 and 2017 rows are on the boundaries in force at the time and aren't directly comparable.

Year Result MP Lab Con LD Right (Ref/UKIP) Green Other Majority Turnout
2010predecessorLab gain from ResRushanara Ali Bethnal Green and Bow MP42.9%13.9%20.1%-1.7%21.3%11,57462.4%
2015predecessorLab holdRushanara Ali Bethnal Green and Bow MP61.2%15.2%4.5%6.1% UKIP9.3%3.7%24,31764.0%+1.6
2017predecessorLab holdRushanara Ali Bethnal Green and Bow MP71.8%12.7%5.0%1.5% UKIP2.5%6.5%35,39369.5%+5.5
2019notionalLabour winnerRushanara Ali Bethnal Green and Bow MP, pre-review boundary73.5%10.1%9.3%-4.2%2.9%31,65564.9%
2024Lab holdRushanara Ali34.1%4.1%10.2%4.2% Ref13.7%33.7%1,68957.3%-7.6

Bethnal Green and Stepney was created or substantially redrawn by the 2023 boundary review. Pre-2024 rows below are for the predecessor seat Bethnal Green and Bow (the seat that covered most of this area), so vote shares and majorities aren’t directly comparable to the post-2024 figures.

Constituencies most like Bethnal Green and Stepney

Five seats with similar demographic profiles to Bethnal Green and Stepney. Politics shown for context.

What would change this seat?

Move the sliders to set national vote shares. The per-seat projection updates live. Reset returns to the current 7-poll average.

Related

Sources

If you spot a data issue, please let us know.