Gateshead (UK Parliament constituency)

Gateshead is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since it was re-established in 2010 by Ian Mearns of the Labour Party.[n 2]

Gateshead
Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Gateshead in Tyne and Wear for the 2010 general election
Outline map
Location of Tyne and Wear within England
CountyTyne and Wear
Electorate66,066 (December 2010)[1]
Major settlementsGateshead
Current constituency
Created2010
Member of ParliamentIan Mearns (Labour)
SeatsOne
Created fromGateshead East and Washington West, and Tyne Bridge
Replaced byGateshead Central and Whickham
18321950
SeatsOne
Type of constituencyBorough constituency
Created fromCounty Durham
Replaced byGateshead East and Gateshead West

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat will be subject to boundary changes, losing the Felling, and Windy Nook and Whitehills wards to Jarrow (to be renamed Jarrow and Gateshead East) and gaining from the (to be abolished) constituency of Blaydon three wards which incorporate the community of Whickham. Accordingly, it will be renamed Gateshead Central and Whickham, to be first contested at the next general election.[2]

History edit

First creation edit

The seat was first created by the Reform Act 1832 as a single-member parliamentary borough.[3] It was abolished under the Representation of the People Act 1948 for the 1950 general election and split into Gateshead East and Gateshead West.[4]

Revival edit

As a result of the Boundary Commission's Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was re-established for the 2010 general election, combining over half of the electorates of both of the abolished constituencies of Gateshead East and Washington West, and Tyne Bridge.

Boundaries edit

 
Map of present boundaries

1832-1918 edit

Under the Parliamentary Boundaries Act 1832, the contents of the borough were defined as the Parish of Gateshead and part of the Chapelry of Heworth in the Parish of Jarrow.[5]

See map on Vision of Britain website.[6]

1918-1950 edit

  • The County Borough of Gateshead.[7]

No change to boundaries.

2010–present edit

  • The Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead wards of Bridges, Chowdene, Deckham, Dunston and Teams, Felling, High Fell, Lobley Hill and Bensham, Low Fell, Saltwell, and Windy Nook and Whitehills.[8]

Constituency profile edit

Under the current boundaries, the constituency is overwhelmingly White, and working-class; with 95% of its electorate identifying as White British and being in the top decile of constituencies for routine work. The area's politics are influenced by these demographics; with the exception of Low Fell, all of the wards that make up the constituency are safely Labour areas, and the constituency voted overwhelmingly to leave the European Union, like the borough as a whole.

Members of Parliament edit

Among famous representatives are James Melville KC who was Solicitor General for England and Wales before he died, while holding the seat, and international statesman Konni Zilliacus who assisted in creating peaceful bilateral relations during the Cold War, including though work at the United Nations.

MPs 1832–1950 edit

Election Member[9] Party
1832 Cuthbert Rippon Radical[10][11][12]
1841 Sir William Hutt Radical[13][14]
1859 Liberal
1874 Walter James Liberal
1893 Sir William Allan Liberal
1904 John Johnson Liberal
1910 Sir Harold Elverston Liberal
1918 Herbert Surtees Coalition Conservative
1922 John Brotherton Labour
1923 John Dickie Liberal
1924 John Beckett Labour
1929 Sir James Melville Labour
1931 Herbert Evans Labour
1931 Thomas Magnay National Liberal
1945 Konni Zilliacus Labour (1945–49)
Labour Independent Group (1949)
Independent Labour (1949–50)
1950 constituency abolished

MPs since 2010 edit

Election Member[9] Party
2010 Ian Mearns Labour

Elections edit

Elections in the 2010s edit

General election 2019: Gateshead[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ian Mearns 20,450 53.6 -11.5
Conservative Jane MacBean 13,250 34.7 +10.8
Liberal Democrats Peter Maughan 2,792 7.3 +3.2
Green Rachael Cabral 1,653 4.3 +2.8
Majority 7,200 18.9 -22.3
Turnout 38,145 59.2 -5.4
Labour hold Swing -11.2
General election 2017: Gateshead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ian Mearns 27,426 65.1 +8.3
Conservative Lauren Hankinson 10,076 23.9 +9.4
UKIP Mark Bell 2,281 5.4 -12.4
Liberal Democrats Frank Hindle 1,709 4.1 -2.7
Green Andy Redfern 611 1.5 -2.6
Majority 17,350 41.2 +2.2
Turnout 42,103 64.6 +5.2
Labour hold Swing -0.5
General election 2015: Gateshead[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ian Mearns 21,549 56.8 +2.7
UKIP John Tennant 6,765 17.8 +14.9
Conservative Thomas Smith 5,502 14.5 −0.4
Liberal Democrats Frank Hindle 2,585 6.8 −14.5
Green Andy Redfern[17] 1,548 4.1 +3.1
Majority 14,784 39.0 +6.2
Turnout 37,949 59.4 +1.9
Labour hold Swing
General election 2010: Gateshead[18][19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ian Mearns 20,712 54.1 −7.3
Liberal Democrats Frank Hindle 8,163 21.3 +0.6
Conservative Hazel Anderson 5,716 14.9 +4.8
BNP Kevin Scott 1,787 4.7 +1.6
UKIP John Tennant 1,103 2.9 −0.4
Green Andy Redfern 379 1.0 New
TUSC Elaine Brunskill 266 0.7 New
Christian David Walton 131 0.3 New
Majority 12,549 32.8 -7.9
Turnout 38,257 57.5 +3.8
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1940s edit

General election 1945: Gateshead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Konni Zilliacus 36,736 67.5 +20.2
National Liberal Thomas Magnay 17,719 32.5 -20.2
Majority 19,017 35.0 N/A
Turnout 54,455 76.0 +1.3
Labour gain from National Liberal Swing

Elections in the 1930s edit

General election 1935: Gateshead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Liberal Thomas Magnay 28,772 52.72
Labour James Wilson 25,804 47.28
Majority 2,968 5.44
Turnout 54,576 74.68
National Liberal hold Swing
General election 1931: Gateshead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Liberal Thomas Magnay 34,764 60.09
Labour Ernest Bevin 21,826 37.73
New Party John Stuart Barr 1,077 1.86 New
National Labour John Fennell 187 0.32 New
Majority 12,938 22.36 N/A
Turnout 57,314 78.32
National Liberal gain from Labour Swing

Conservative candidate Charles White withdrew on 15 October 1931. Barr and Fennell also withdrew, but their names remained on the ballot paper.

1931 Gateshead by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Herbert Evans 22,893 51.6 −1.0
Conservative Cuthbert Headlam 21,501 48.4 +26.9
Majority 1,392 3.2 −27.9
Turnout 44,394 60.8 −13.1
Labour hold Swing

Sir James Melville died on 1 May 1931, leading to a by-election on 8 June. The winner of the by-election, Herbert Evans, himself died on 7 October, the day parliament was dissolved for the 1931 general election.

Elections in the 1920s edit

General election 1929: Gateshead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour James Melville 28,393 52.6 +2.4
Unionist Ian Orr-Ewing 11,644 21.5 -8.7
Liberal John Fennell 10,314 19.1 -0.5
Independent Liberal John Leonard Watson 3,688 6.8 New
Majority 16,749 31.1 +11.1
Turnout 54,039 73.9 -8.8
Labour hold Swing +5.5
General election 1924: Gateshead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Beckett 23,514 50.2 +9.1
Unionist Hilton Philipson 14,178 30.2 +14.0
Liberal John Dickie 9,185 19.6 -23.1
Majority 9,336 20.0 N/A
Turnout 46,877 82.7 +9.5
Labour gain from Liberal Swing -2.5
General election 1923: Gateshead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Dickie 17,344 42.7 +17.8
Labour John Brotherton 16,689 41.1 -2.7
Unionist George Francis Stephen Christie 6,592 16.2 -15.1
Majority 355 1.6 N/A
Turnout 40,625 73.2 -5.2
Liberal gain from Labour Swing +10.3
General election 1922: Gateshead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Brotherton 18,795 43.8 +20.0
Unionist Herbert Surtees 13,424 31.3 -25.6
Liberal John Dickie 10,679 24.9 +5.6
Majority 5,371 12.5 N/A
Turnout 42,898 78.4 +23.8
Labour gain from Unionist Swing +22.8

Elections in the 1910s edit

General election 1918: Gateshead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Unionist Herbert Surtees 17,215 56.9 +17.9
Labour John Brotherton 7,212 23.8 New
Liberal Harold Elverston 5,833 19.3 -41.7
Majority 10,003 33.1 N/A
Turnout 30,260 54.6 -20.5
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.
General election December 1910: Gateshead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Harold Elverston 8,763 61.0 +20.3
Conservative Herbert Surtees 5,608 39.0 +1.1
Majority 3,155 22.0 +19.2
Turnout 14,371 75.1 -12.1
Liberal hold Swing
 
John Johnson
General election January 1910: Gateshead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Harold Elverston 6,800 40.7 +40.7
Liberal Unionist Nicholas Grattan-Doyle 6,323 37.9 +3.2
Labour John Johnson 3,572 21.4 -43.9
Majority 477 2.8 -27.8
Turnout 16,695 87.2 +7.8
Liberal hold Swing +42.3

Elections in the 1900s edit

General election 1906: Gateshead[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Lib-Lab John Johnson 9,651 65.3 +11.5
Liberal Unionist Theodore Angier 5,126 34.7 −11.5
Majority 4,525 30.6 +23.0
Turnout 14,777 79.4 +5.1
Registered electors 18,614
Lib-Lab hold Swing +11.5
 
Morpeth
1904 Gateshead by-election[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Lib-Lab John Johnson 8,220 54.0 +0.2
Liberal Unionist Charles Howard 7,015 46.0 −0.2
Majority 1,205 8.0 +0.4
Turnout 15,235 84.9 +10.6
Registered electors 17,951
Lib-Lab hold Swing +0.2
 
Allan
General election 1900: Gateshead[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Allan 6,657 53.8 +1.8
Liberal Unionist John Sherburn 5,711 46.2 −1.8
Majority 946 7.6 +3.6
Turnout 12,368 74.3 −7.7
Registered electors 16,635
Liberal hold Swing +1.8

Elections in the 1890s edit

General election 1895: Gateshead[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Allan 6,137 52.0 +0.6
Liberal Unionist J. Lucas 5,654 48.0 −0.5
Majority 483 4.0 +1.1
Turnout 11,791 82.0 +5.6
Registered electors 14,383
Liberal hold Swing +0.6
By-election, 1893: Gateshead[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Allan 6,434 53.6 +2.2
Liberal Unionist Pandeli Ralli 5,566 46.4 −2.1
Majority 868 7.2 +4.3
Turnout 12,000 85.2 +8.8
Registered electors 14,090
Liberal hold Swing +2.2
  • Caused by James' succession to the peerage as Lord Northbourne.
General election 1892: Gateshead[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Walter James 5,336 51.4 N/A
Liberal Unionist Pandeli Ralli 5,043 48.5 New
Majority 293 2.9 N/A
Turnout 10,379 76.4 N/A
Registered electors 13,581
Liberal hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1880s edit

General election 1886: Gateshead[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Walter James Unopposed
Liberal hold
General election 1885: Gateshead[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Walter James 5,756 65.6 −12.9
Conservative James Henry Bottomley[21] 3,024 34.4 +12.9
Majority 2,732 31.2 −25.8
Turnout 8,780 66.5 +3.1
Registered electors 13,206
Liberal hold Swing −12.9
General election 1880: Gateshead[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Walter James 5,749 78.5 +3.4
Conservative Gainsford Bruce[23] 1,570 21.5 −3.2
Majority 4,179 57.0 +6.6
Turnout 7,319 63.4 +5.6
Registered electors 11,551
Liberal hold Swing +3.2

Elections in the 1870s edit

General election 1874: Gateshead[22][24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Walter James 4,250 75.1 +11.6
Conservative Richard Forster 1,396 24.7 New
Independent Liberal William Arbuthnot[25] 12 0.2 −36.3
Majority 2,854 50.4 +23.4
Turnout 5,658 57.8 −11.2
Registered electors 9,782
Liberal hold Swing +24.0
  • Arbuthnot retired from the race the day before polling.[26]

Elections in the 1860s edit

General election 1868: Gateshead[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Hutt 2,442 63.5 N/A
Independent Liberal William Arbuthnot[27] 1,406 36.5 New
Majority 1,036 27.0 N/A
Turnout 3,848 69.0 N/A
Registered electors 5,578
Liberal hold Swing N/A
General election 1865: Gateshead[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Hutt Unopposed
Registered electors 1,165
Liberal hold
By-election, 13 February 1860: Gateshead[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Hutt Unopposed
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1850s edit

General election 1859: Gateshead[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Hutt Unopposed
Registered electors 913
Liberal hold
General election 1857: Gateshead[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Radical William Hutt Unopposed
Registered electors 895
Radical hold
General election 1852: Gateshead[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Radical William Hutt 270 45.3 N/A
Conservative Adolphus Frederick Octavius Liddell[28] 190 31.9 New
Independent Liberal Ralph Walters[29][30] 136 22.8 New
Majority 80 13.4 N/A
Turnout 596 83.8 N/A
Registered electors 711
Radical hold

Elections in the 1840s edit

General election 1847: Gateshead[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Radical William Hutt Unopposed
Registered electors 656
Radical hold
General election 1841: Gateshead[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Radical William Hutt Unopposed
Registered electors 554
Radical hold

Elections in the 1830s edit

General election 1837: Gateshead[22][31]
Party Candidate Votes %
Radical Cuthbert Rippon 236 61.0
Radical John William Williamson 151 39.0
Majority 85 22.0
Turnout 387 72.5
Registered electors 534
Radical hold
General election 1835: Gateshead[22]
Party Candidate Votes %
Radical Cuthbert Rippon Unopposed
Registered electors 506
Radical hold
General election 1832: Gateshead[22]
Party Candidate Votes %
Radical Cuthbert Rippon Unopposed
Registered electors 454
Radical win (new seat)

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. ^ As with all current constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.

References edit

Specific
  1. ^ "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  2. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report – North East | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  3. ^ "Representation of the People Act 1832". vLex. S-IV. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  4. ^ "Representation of the People Act 1948" (PDF). p. 94.
  5. ^ Britain, Great (1832). The Statutes of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Passed in the ... [1807-69]. His Majesty's statute and law Printers. p. 343.
  6. ^ "HMSO Boundary Commission Report 1832, Gateshead".
  7. ^ Craig, Fred W. S. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1885-1972;. Chichester: Political Reference Publications. p. 11. ISBN 0-900178-09-4. OCLC 539011.
  8. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". In Tyne and Wear.
  9. ^ a b Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "G" (part 1)
  10. ^ Churton, Edward (1838). The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer: 1838. p. 194. Retrieved 5 November 2018 – via Google Books.
  11. ^ English Heritage (2013). "Battersea High Street area" (PDF). University College London. p. 34. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  12. ^ Coohill, Joseph (17 October 2011). "Chapter 5. Appropriation and the Formation of the Parliamentary Liberal Party". Parliamentary History. 30 (s2): 113–130. doi:10.1111/j.1750-0206.2011.00259.x.
  13. ^ Quinault, Roland; Swift, Roger; Windscheffel, Ruth Clayton, eds. (2016). "Gladstone and the Suppression of the Slave Trade". William Gladstone: New Studies and Perspectives. Abingdon: Routledge. p. 255. ISBN 9781315547152. Retrieved 10 May 2018 – via Google Books.
  14. ^ Steele, ED (1991). "Party: Whigs and Liberals". Palmerston and Liberalism: 1855-1865. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 84–85. ISBN 978-0-521-40045-9. Retrieved 10 May 2018 – via Google Books.
  15. ^ "Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll" (PDF). 14 November 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  16. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  17. ^ "Greens name election candidates".
  18. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  19. ^ Official results Archived 15 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine from Gateshead Council
  20. ^ a b c d e f g h British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
  21. ^ "Presentation to Mr J. H. Bottomley". Sheffield Daily Telegraph. 23 April 1886. p. 4. Retrieved 26 November 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  22. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
  23. ^ "The General Election". Leicester Chronicle. 3 April 1880. p. 8. Retrieved 26 November 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  24. ^ "Gateshead". Sheffield Independent. 31 January 1874. p. 6. Retrieved 30 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  25. ^ "Gateshead". Newcastle Journal. 28 January 1874. p. 2. Retrieved 13 February 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  26. ^ "Gateshead - Close of the Poll". Jersey Independent and Daily Telegraph. 5 February 1874. p. 2. Retrieved 30 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  27. ^ "Gateshead". Newcastle Chronicle. 31 October 1868. pp. 3–4. Retrieved 13 February 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  28. ^ "Gateshead Election". Newcastle Journal. 10 July 1852. p. 5. Retrieved 10 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  29. ^ "Dinner to Ralph Walters, Esq. at Gateshead". Newcastle Journal. 31 July 1852. p. 8. Retrieved 10 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  30. ^ "Election Intelligence". Morning Chronicle. 7 July 1852. pp. 2–5. Retrieved 10 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  31. ^ List of Electors of the Borough of Gateshead Arranged as they used their Elective Franchise at the first contested election, July 27, 1837. Gateshead: W. Stephenson. 1837. Retrieved 13 April 2020 – via Google Books.
General

Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.

Sources edit