Lab regained this seat from Con — last held it in 2017.
MP News Approval i
+28
Jake Richards
Labour PartyJake Richards is the Labour MP for Rother Valley, and has been an MP continually since 4 July 2024. He currently holds the Government posts of Assistant Whip, and Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice).
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Sign up freeCoverage of Rother Valley has been mixed for Jake across 40 recent articles.
Positive coverage
“'I battled through Britain's unhealthiest sandwich and emerged a living legend'” — Daily Star
A marginal seat — won by just 998 votes (2.4%) in 2024. Covers Swallownest and Aston, Maltby and Dinnington (Rotherham). Population 95,139.
Police officer slapped after trying to help 'confused person'
The Star · 9 Apr 2026
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Sign up freeMedian Income▼
£27,400
per year (HMRC 2022-23)
Mean Income▼
£34,400
per year (HMRC 2022-23)
Businesses▼
2,625
VAT/PAYE registered (ONS 2024)
Schools▼
47
34 primary, 7 secondary, 6 other
Total Income Tax▼
£227m
from 47,000 taxpayers
Median Tax▼
£2,630
per taxpayer / year
Mean Tax
£4,840
per taxpayer / year
Source: HMRC Survey of Personal Incomes, tax year 2022-23. Allocated by taxpayer residence. Covers income tax only — excludes NI, VAT, and capital gains. Sample-based estimate (~8% confidence interval).
Attainment 8▼
43.1
average score (DfE)
GCSE Pass Rate▼
61.7%
5+ GCSEs 9-4 (DfE)
1 large town, 7 towns, 8 villages, rural areas — 91,688 total population
Source: ONS Built-Up Areas (Census 2021) + data.police.uk — crime rates are per 1,000 population (last 3 months)
Source: data.police.uk — street-level crime data aggregated from LSOA to constituency
21 councillors across 9 wards · Last elections: May 2024
| Ward | Party | Councillor | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anston Woodsetts | Liberal Democrats | Drew Tarmey | May 2024 |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | John Michael Blackham | May 2024 | |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | Timothy James Baum-Dixon | May 2024 | |
| Aston Todwick | Conservative and Unionist Party | Joshua Bacon | May 2024 |
| Labour Party | Sarah Ann Allen | May 2024 | |
| Aughton Swallownest | Labour Party | Lyndsay Pitchley | May 2024 |
| Labour Party | Robert Paul Taylor | May 2024 | |
| Dinnington | Labour Party | Amanda Marie Clarke | May 2024 |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | Julz Hall | May 2024 | |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | Sophie Dack | May 2024 | |
| Hellaby Maltby West | Conservative and Unionist Party | Lynda Jayne Stables | May 2024 |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | Simon Ashley Ball | May 2024 | |
| Maltby East | Conservative and Unionist Party | Adam James Tinsley | May 2024 |
| Labour Party | Donna Sutton | May 2024 | |
| Sitwell | Conservative and Unionist Party | David Frank Fisher | May 2024 |
| Independent Berwick Hills Resident | Mick Bower | May 2024 | |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | Paul Stewart Thorp | May 2024 | |
| Thurcroft Wickersley South | Conservative and Unionist Party | Thomas Ryan Collingham | May 2024 |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | Zachary Aron Collingham | May 2024 | |
| Wales | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | Dominic Edward Beck | May 2024 |
| Independent Berwick Hills Resident | Marnie Anne Havard | May 2024 |
Source: DCLEAPIL v1.0 by Jason Leman, LEAP (Andrew Teale) & Democracy Club. CC BY-SA 4.0. Data last refreshed: 1 Apr 2026.
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lab | 16,023 | 38.5% | |
Won 2019 GE | Con | 15,025 | 36.1% |
| Ref | 7,679 | 18.5% | |
| Green | 1,706 | 4.1% | |
| LD | 1,175 | 2.8% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Con | 21,970 | 45.1% | |
| Lab | 15,652 | 32.1% | |
| Ind | 6,264 | 12.9% | |
| LD | 2,553 | 5.2% | |
| Green | 1,219 | 2.5% | |
| Ind | 1,040 | 2.1% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2015 GEWon 2010 GE | Lab | 23,821 | 48.1% |
| Con | 19,939 | 40.3% | |
| Ind | 3,704 | 7.5% | |
| LD | 1,155 | 2.3% | |
| Green | 869 | 1.8% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2017 GEWon 2010 GE | Lab | 20,501 | 43.6% |
| Ind | 13,204 | 28.1% | |
| Con | 10,945 | 23.3% | |
| LD | 1,992 | 4.2% | |
| Ind | 377 | 0.8% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2017 GEWon 2015 GE | Lab | 19,147 | 41.0% |
| Con | 13,281 | 28.4% | |
| LD | 8,111 | 17.4% | |
| Ind | 3,606 | 7.7% | |
| Ind | 2,613 | 5.6% |
Jake Richards has not appeared in national political news coverage tracked by our system. This is common for backbench MPs who focus on constituency-level work rather than national policy debates.
9 articles hidden as not sufficiently relevant to this constituency
A South Yorkshire Police officer was slapped by a confused 59-year-old man in Greasbrough, Rotherham, on April 8 after officers attempted to assist him. The man was arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker, given a conditional caution, and released.
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A 13-year-old boy from Rotherham named Lennox has died after a year-long battle with a rare bone cancer, and his community has gathered in large numbers to honour his memory with a blue-lined street procession. The article documents the emotional farewell attended by family, friends, and community members who celebrated his life and resilience.
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Magna tram train station has opened on the Rotherham-Sheffield line, the first new station in eight years. The £10m project aims to improve transport connectivity, reduce air quality issues by encouraging modal shift away from cars, and support commuting to local jobs in the Templeborough area.
Lennox Griffiths, a 13-year-old from Rotherham, has died from rare bone cancer after a year-long battle. His funeral celebration is taking place today with a community procession through Rotherham featuring blue tributes, with donations encouraged to charities that supported him during his illness.
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A new tram station at Magna in Rotherham has opened, offering improved public transport access and 100 free park-and-ride spaces. The station is part of broader South Yorkshire plans to regenerate the Don Valley Corridor with £1.3bn investment to create jobs and homes in former industrial areas between Rotherham and Sheffield.
Rotherham Council has completed a land swap agreement with Royal Mail to enable completion of a riverside walkway project connecting the town centre with new housing developments. The deal allows Royal Mail to modernise its depot with electric vehicle operations while the council progresses its £630,000+ River Walk initiative, part of broader town centre regeneration.
A new Magna Tram Train station will open near Rotherham on 9 April 2026, the first additional stop since the network's 2018 launch. The station aims to improve transport links between Rotherham and Sheffield, support employment corridors, and address air quality and congestion issues in the Lower Don Valley.
Petrol prices in Sheffield have reached 156.2p per litre, costing £78.10 for a standard fill-up and consuming over 10% of the median weekly wage. The analysis reveals that while Sheffield has relatively cheaper petrol compared to nearby areas, the burden on drivers is significant due to lower wages in the region compared to others in South Yorkshire.
Rotherham Council planning officers have recommended approval of an application to demolish a vacant house at 17 Green Street in Greasbrough and replace it with three new homes, after a previous proposal was refused in 2025. The revised plans address earlier concerns about highway safety and design, though residents have raised objections about loss of the existing property and impacts on privacy, light, and traffic.
A serious assault in Rawmarsh, Rotherham on April 5 left a 39-year-old man hospitalized with serious injuries. A 27-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and remains in police custody.
Rotherham Council is launching a borough-wide community governance review to examine parish boundaries for the first time since 2008, ahead of 2028 local elections. The review will consider creating new parish councils, altering existing boundaries, and merging or splitting parishes, with resident consultation beginning in May.
Rotherham Council's £570,000 Street Safe team, launched in November 2025, has begun patrolling five areas including Wath, Swinton, Dinnington and Maltby to tackle anti-social behaviour and improve public safety. The 10-officer team has issued warnings, fixed penalty notices, and opened environmental cases, with plans to expand powers and increase patrols based on resident feedback.
A new £10m Magna tram-train station is opening near Templeborough and Tinsley, providing improved transport connections between Rotherham and Sheffield with 100 free Park and Ride spaces. The station is expected to address congestion and air quality issues while supporting regeneration of the Don Valley corridor and access to thousands of local jobs.
A Swinton resident was prosecuted for illegal fly-tipping in Dalton, South Yorkshire, despite holding a legitimate waste disposal licence. The offender was ordered to pay £1,430 by Sheffield Magistrates Court and given 30 days to settle the bill.
Rotherham Council's latest climate action plan acknowledges that current efforts are insufficient to meet its net zero targets by 2030, with emissions reductions slowing and several projects delayed. The updated plan introduces new measures including tracking indirect emissions, expanding renewable energy projects, improving building efficiency, and expanding EV charging infrastructure across the area including Herringthorpe, Rawmarsh and Wickersley.
Rotherham Council will replace its free school meal voucher scheme with a one-off £95 summer payment after Easter due to funding constraints under new government rules. The council is restructuring support through a new £5.2 million fund from April 2026, with additional crisis support and council tax assistance for vulnerable households.
A man, John Carney, was found dead on a footpath in Rawmarsh, Rotherham, with police determining there were no suspicious circumstances. The death is believed to be natural, likely related to a pre-existing heart condition.
Pricecheck Brand Partners, a major South Yorkshire distributor, is expanding its logistics operations with a new 20,000 sq ft warehouse in Sheffield (Beighton) and a temporary 13,000 sq ft facility in Rotherham, creating several new jobs. The expansion supports the company's record growth and ambitions to double turnover to £200m by 2026.
Denby, a 217-year-old pottery and homeware brand, has entered administration with over 500 jobs at risk, including outlets in Rotherham, Castleford and York. The company has struggled with energy costs, rising employment expenses, and weak consumer demand, though there is hope that parts of the business could be rescued.
A Rotherham metal fabrication firm, MTL Advanced, was fined £140,000 after a 17-year-old apprentice crushed his thumb in unguarded machinery in November 2024. The Health and Safety Executive found multiple safety failings including gaps in equipment that exposed dangerous parts, live electrical hazards, and inadequate inspection systems.
An article celebrating the success of pond creation initiatives at local nature reserves in the Rother Valley area, specifically documenting the spawning of frogs at Shire Brook's Rainbow Meadow and the ecological benefits of maintaining ponds of varying ages. The piece highlights how post-industrial sites have been transformed into valuable wildlife habitats supporting amphibians and other species.
A 14-year-old schoolgirl missing from Rotherham town centre was found safe and well after police arrested a man and woman on suspicion of abduction. The case was resolved within 24 hours following a public appeal and CCTV investigation.
A 14-year-old girl named Cassidy has gone missing from Rotherham town centre, with police arresting a man and woman on suspicion of abduction. The search involves extensive CCTV analysis and door-to-door checks, with police expressing serious concern for her welfare.
Jake Richards, the MP for Rother Valley, visits Corner Kitchen Cafe in Rotherham to sample their viral 'Britain's unhealthiest sandwich' and document the experience for the Daily Star. The article celebrates the local business's online success and the MP's participation in this light-hearted local story.
A 14-year-old girl from Rotherham who was reported missing twice in one week has been found safe following the arrest of two people on suspicion of abduction. South Yorkshire Police confirmed the teenager's safe recovery and thanked the public for sharing their appeals.
Police executed a drugs warrant on Haigh Moor Way in Swallownest (within Rother Valley) and discovered a significant cannabis growing operation, resulting in an arrest. Northern Powergrid attended to ensure safety after police discovered illegal electricity abstraction at the property.
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A 14-year-old girl from Thurcroft in Rotherham has been reported missing twice and arrests have been made in connection with a suspected abduction. Police are actively searching for the teenager and have arrested a 60-year-old man and 26-year-old woman on suspicion of abduction.
A 14-year-old girl from Thurcroft in Rotherham has gone missing for the second time in four days. Two people have been arrested on suspicion of abduction, and South Yorkshire Police are conducting extensive searches with growing concern for her welfare.
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