Hartlepool (UK Parliament constituency)

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Hartlepool
Borough constituency

Hartlepool shown within [[Cleveland]], and Cleveland shown within England
Created: 1868
MP: Iain Wright
Party: Labour
Type: House of Commons
County: County Durham
EP constituency: North East England

Hartlepool is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

Contents

[edit] Boundaries

The seat is currently coterminous with the borough of Hartlepool, which has close to the average population for a UK parliamentary constituency. The seat includes the town of Hartlepool itself and the nearby villages of Hart, Elwick, Greatham, Newton Bewley and Dalton Piercy. Before 1974 the seat was known as The Hartlepools (reflecting the representation of both 'old' Hartlepool and West Hartlepool).

[edit] History

Hartlepool was enfranchised as a borough constituency by the Reform Act of 1867, being given one MP. It had previously been part of a two-MP electoral division in County Durham.

Hartlepool is a traditionally Labour constituency, though it has attracted surprises at times. In the 1992 general election, Edward Leadbitter stood down and was succeeded by the former Labour Director of Communications Peter Mandelson. Mandelson's pivotal role in the reshaping of the Labour Party into New Labour has attracted much attention and he has become a prominent target. During the first term of office of the Labour government he was twice appointed to the Cabinet and twice forced to resign amidst controversial scandals. In the 2001 general election, there was a prominent contest when the former leader of the National Union of Mineworkers and current leader of the Socialist Labour Party, Arthur Scargill stood, hoping to exploit uneasiness about "New Labour" in the traditional Labour heartlands. In the event, Mandelson held his seat, while Scargill polled only 912 votes. Mandelson shocked many with a highly triumphalist victory speech in which he declared "They underestimated Hartlepool, and they underestimated me, because I am a fighter and not a quitter!"[1].

The following year, the town's first direct Mayoral election generated surprise when the mascot of Hartlepool United F.C., H'Angus the Monkey (real name Stuart Drummond) was elected on a platform that included free bananas for schoolchildren.

Mandelson quit his role as MP for Hartlepool when he was appointed as a European Commissioner in the summer of 2004. This triggered a by-election that took place on September 30, 2004. The Hartlepool by-election was the last before the 2005 general election.

[edit] Members of Parliament

[edit] Elections

General Election 2005: Hartlepool
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Iain Wright 18,251 51.5 -7.6
Liberal Democrats Jody Dunn 10,773 30.4 +15.4
Conservative Amanda Vigar 4,058 11.5 -9.4
UK Independence George Springer 1,256 3.5
Socialist Labour Frank Harrison 373 1.1 -1.3
Green Iris Ryder 288 0.8
Independent John Hobbs 275 0.8
Monster Raving Loony Headbanger (Sausage Supremo) Headbanger 162 0.5
Majority 7,478 21.1
Turnout 35,436 51.5 -4.3
Labour hold Swing -11.5
By-election 2004: Hartlepool
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Iain Wright 12,752 40.7 -18.5
Liberal Democrats Jody Dunn 10,719 34.2 +19.2
UK Independence Stephen Allison 3,193 10.2
Conservative Jeremy Middleton 3,044 9.7 -11.1
Respect John Bloom 572 1.8
Green Iris Ryder 255 0.8
National Front John Starkey 246 0.8
Independent (Fathers 4 Justice) Peter Watson 139 0.4
Socialist Labour Christopher Herriot 95 0.3 -2.1
Common Good Rev Dick Rodgers 91 0.3
Independent Philip Berriman 90 0.3
Monster Raving Loony Alan Hope 80 0.3
Independent (Rainbow) Ronnie Carroll 45 0.1
English Democrats Ed Abrams 41 0.1
Majority 2,033 6.5
Turnout 31,362 45.77
General Election 2001: Hartlepool
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Peter Mandelson 22,506 59.1 -1.6
Conservative Gus Robinson 7,935 20.9 -0.5
Liberal Democrats Nigel Boddy 5,717 15.0 +1.0
Socialist Labour Arthur Scargill 912 2.4 N/A
Independent Ian Cameron 557 1.5 N/A
Independent John Booth 424 1.1 N/A
Majority 14,571 38.2
Turnout 38,051 55.8 -9.8
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1997: Hartlepool
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Peter Mandelson 26,997 60.7 +8.9
Conservative Michael Horsley 9,489 21.3 -13.5
Liberal Democrats Reginald Clark 6,248 14.1 +0.8
Referendum Party Maureen Henderson 1,718 3.9
Majority 17,508 39.4
Turnout 44,452 65.65
Labour hold Swing +11.2
General Election 1992: Hartlepool
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Peter Mandelson 26,816 51.9 +3.3
Conservative G.M. Robb 18,034 34.9 +1.0
Liberal Democrats I.J.H Cameron 6,860 13.3 -0.7
Majority 8,782 17.0
Turnout 51,710 76.1
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1987: Hartlepool
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour E. Leadbitter 24,296 48.5 +3.0
Conservative P.C. Catchpole 17,007 33.9 -5.3
SDP-Liberal Alliance A. Preece 7,047 14.1 -1.3
Independent I.J.H Cameron 1,786 3.6
Majority 7,289 14.5
Turnout 50,136 73.0
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1983: Hartlepool
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour E. Leadbitter 22,048 45.5 -9.9
Conservative F. Rogers 18,958 39.2 +1.3
Social Democrat N. Bertram 7,422 15.3 +8.6
Majority 3,090 6.3
Turnout 48,434 69.8
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1979: Hartlepool
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour E. Leadbitter 27,039 55.1 +3.4
Conservative K. Miller 18,887 38.4 +3.4
Liberal C. Abbott 3,193 6.5 -6.9
Majority 8,162 16.6 -0.1
Turnout 49,109 74.7 +2.3
Labour hold Swing
General Election October 1974: Hartlepool
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour E. Leadbitter 24,440 51.7 -2.6
Conservative NH Freeman 16,546 35.0 -10.7
Liberal L Tostevin 6,314 13.4
Majority 7,894 16.7 +8.1
Turnout 47300 72.4 -4.5
Labour hold Swing
General Election February 1974: Hartlepool
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour E. Leadbitter 26,988 54.3 -3.6
Conservative NH Freeman 22,700 45.7 +3.5
Majority 4,288 8.6 -6.8
Turnout 49,688 76.9 +2.5
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1970: The Hartlepools
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour E. Leadbitter 27,704 57.9 -1.4
Conservative RM Marshall 20,188 42.2 +1.5
Majority 7,516 15.7 -3.0
Turnout 47,892 74.4 -4.0
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1966: The Hartlepools
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour E. Leadbitter 27,509 59.3 +6.4
Conservative H Bransom 18,857 40.7 -6.4
Majority 8,652 18.7 +12.8
Turnout 46,366 78.5 -3.4
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1964: The Hartlepools
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour E. Leadbitter 25,883 52.9 +3.1
Conservative G Dodsworth 23,016 47.1 -3.1
Majority 2,867 5.9
Turnout 48,899 81.9 -1.4
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
General Election 1959: The Hartlepools
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative JS Kerans 25,463 50.2
Labour DT Jones 25,281 49.8
Majority 182 0.4
Turnout 50,744 83.3
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

[edit] See also

Constituencies in North East England
Labour

Bishop Auckland | Blaydon | Blyth Valley | City of Durham | Darlington | Easington | Gateshead East and Washington West | Hartlepool | Houghton and Washington East | Jarrow | Middlesbrough | Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland | Newcastle upon Tyne Central | Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend | Newcastle upon Tyne North | North Durham | North Tyneside | North West Durham | Redcar | Sedgefield | South Shields | Stockton North | Stockton South | Sunderland North | Sunderland South | Tyne Bridge | Tynemouth | Wansbeck
Liberal Democrat

Berwick-upon-Tweed
Conservative

Hexham
North East European constituency: Labour (1) | Conservative (1) | Liberal Democrats (1)
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