Middlesbrough (UK Parliament constituency)

Middlesbrough is a parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom,[n 1] recreated in 1974, and represented since 2012 in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament by Andy McDonald from the Labour Party.[n 2] An earlier version of the seat existed between 1868 and 1918.

Middlesbrough
Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Boundary of Middlesbrough in North Yorkshire
Location of North Yorkshire within England
CountyNorth Yorkshire
Electorate59,744 (2018)[1]
Current constituency
Created1974 (1974)
Member of ParliamentAndy McDonald (Labour)
Number of membersOne
Created fromMiddlesbrough East and Middlesbrough West
1868–1918
Number of membersOne
Type of constituencyBorough constituency
Replaced byMiddlesbrough East and Middlesbrough West
Created fromNorth Riding of Yorkshire

History
First creation

Parliament created this seat under the Representation of the People Act 1867 for the general election the next year, however the population expanded so was split into east/west areas in 1918. From 1950 until 1974, given intervening expansion of suburbs across the country, the Metropolitan Borough of Thornaby closer to Stockton on Tees was included in the Middlesbrough West constituency. Thornaby was enveloped into Teesside County Borough from 1974 and has not been part of the associated seats otherwise.[2]

Second creation – current

The seat was recreated on similar boundaries to those which existed immediately before 1918.

Results of the winning party

The 2015 result made the seat the 36-safest of Labour's 232 seats by percentage of majority.[3]

Since the constituency's re-creation in 1974, Middlesbrough has elected the Labour Party's candidate as its MP.[n 3] In areas formerly part of Middlesbrough East, the MP has been Labour since 1950.[n 4]

Middlesbrough West took in rural and semi-rural areas outside the borough to the west, and was a marginal seat passing three times between the two largest parties after the Second World War, but a Liberal stronghold from 1918 until 1945; former soldier and iron and steel merchant Trevelyan Thomson ran unopposed at the polls for re-election in 1924.

Opposition parties

The 2012 by-election and 2015 general election saw UKIP finish second.[4] The Liberal Democrats fielded second-placed candidates in 2005 and 2010. The Conservatives did in all elections between the seat's revival and 2001, and returned to second place in 2017. The Green Party outpolled the Liberal Democrats in 2015 in a field of five parties' candidates standing — the two parties failed to achieve 5% of votes cast leading them to forfeit their deposits.

Turnout

Turnout has ranged between 70.1% in 1987 and 48.8% in 2005.

Boundaries

1868–1885: The township of Linthorpe, and so much of the townships of Middlesbrough, Ormesby, and Eston as lie to the north of the road leading from Eston towards Yarm.[5]

1974–1983: The County Borough of Teesside wards of Berwick Hills, Marton, North Ormesby, St Hilda's, Thorntree, and Tollesby.

1983–1997: The Borough of Middlesbrough wards of Acklam, Beckfield, Beechwood, Berwick Hills, Gresham, Grove Hill, Kirby, Linthorpe, North Ormesby, Pallister, Park, St Hilda's, Southfield, Thorntree, and Westbourne.

1997–2010: The Borough of Middlesbrough wards of Acklam, Ayresome, Beckfield, Beechwood, Berwick Hills, Brookfield, Gresham, Grove Hill, Kader, Kirby, Linthorpe, North Ormesby, Pallister, Park, St Hilda's, Southfield, Thorntree, and Westbourne.

2010–present: The Borough of Middlesbrough wards of Acklam, Ayresome, Beckfield, Beechwood, Brookfield, Clairville, Gresham, Kader, Grove Hill, Linthorpe, Middlehaven, North Ormesby and Brambles Farm, Pallister Park, Thorntree, and University.

The boundaries of the constituency are loosely based on the pre-1968 County Borough of Middlesbrough boundaries, which is now defined as the Borough (or Town) of Middlesbrough; the exclusions are its Easterside and Park End Wards, instead in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland.

Constituency profile

The constituency is mostly the urban city itself, largely in the sunset of its once world-leading steelmaking output. It suffers high unemployment and its adult population has mostly a low income; however, with modern advanced engineering, design and tourism, the city forms with nearby Redcar a bellwether for the North East region's economy firmly in the British forefront of a determined return to increasing national output.[6] In November 2012, male and female unemployment (based on the more up-to-date claimant statistics) placed Middlesbrough topmost of 29 constituencies in the region, well ahead for example the City of Durham at the bottom of the list, with just 3.4% claimants whereas this area had 9.4% claimants.[7]

In terms of housing stock, the authority is one of few authorities to see the proportion of detached and semi-detached homes increase (to 13.6% and 39.9%), in this instance this was coupled with a similar rise in flats to 11.9%, all at a loss to the share of terraced properties, down 4.7%.[8]

2010 general election
Further information: ToryBoy The Movie

The film ToryBoy The Movie followed the election, directed by and starring John Walsh who documented how he became a candidate for the Conservative Party in Middlesbrough, challenging the sitting MP, Stuart Bell.[9][10] The following year, the Daily Mail claimed that long-term sitting MP Bell had not held a constituency surgery since 1997.[11] Later in 2011, Neil Macfarlane, in a report for local newspaperTeesside Gazette, asked "Are Teessiders getting enough from Sir Stuart Bell?" when he failed to answer over one hundred telephone calls made to his constituency office over a three-month period.[12] The Gazette story was picked up by national newspapers. The Independent asked "is Sir Stuart Bell Britain's laziest MP?"[13][14] The Guardian fact-checked the "laziest MP" claims and found that was false.[15] The Labour Party said it was looking into the allegations.[14][16] Bell later said that he had stopped surgeries after being assaulted, and was willing to meet constituents "by appointment". He stated that he would discuss the matter with Labour Chief Whip Rosie Winterton, and would be writing to Labour Party leader Ed Miliband to explain his circumstances.[17]

Members of Parliament

MPs 1868–1918
YearMember[18]Whip
1868 Henry Bolckow Liberal
1878 Isaac Wilson
1892 Havelock Wilson
1900 Samuel Sadler Conservative
1906 Havelock Wilson Liberal
1910 Penry Williams
1918 constituency abolished

MPs since 1974
ElectionMember[18]Party
Feb 1974 Arthur Bottomley Labour
1983 Stuart Bell
2012 by-election Andy McDonald

Elections

Elections in the 2010s
General election 2019: Middlesbrough[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Andy McDonald 17,207 50.5 –15.2
Conservative Ruth Betson 8,812 25.8 -0.9
Independent Antony High 4,548 13.3 N/A
Brexit Party Faye Clements 2,168 6.4 N/A
Liberal Democrats Thomas Crawford 816 2.4 +1.5
Green Hugh Alberti 546 1.6 +0.6
Majority 8,390 24.7 –14.3
Turnout 34,097 56.1 –2.2
Labour hold Swing -7.2
General election 2017: Middlesbrough[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Andy McDonald 23,404 65.7 +8.9
Conservative Jacob Young 9,531 26.7 +10.3
UKIP David Hodgson 1,452 4.1 -14.6
Independent Terry Lawton 632 1.8 N/A
Liberal Democrats Dawud Islam 368 1.0 -2.7
Green Carl Martinez 250 0.7 -3.6
Majority 13,873 39.0 +0.9
Turnout 35,637 58.3 +5.4
Labour hold Swing −0.7
General election 2015: Middlesbrough[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Andy McDonald 18,584 56.8 +10.9
UKIP Nigel Baker 6,107 18.7 +15.0
Conservative Simon Clarke 5,388 16.5 -2.3
Green Hannah Graham 1,407 4.3 N/A
Liberal Democrats Richard Kilpatrick 1,220 3.7 −16.2
Majority 12,477 38.1 +12.1
Turnout 32,706 52.9 +1.5
Labour hold Swing −2.0
2012 Middlesbrough by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Andy McDonald 10,201 60.5 +14.6
UKIP Richard Elvin 1,990 11.8 +8.1
Liberal Democrats George Selmer 1,672 9.9 −10.0
Conservative Ben Houchen 1,063 6.3 −12.5
Peace Imdad Hussain 1,060 6.3 N/A
BNP Peter Foreman 328 1.9 −3.9
TUSC John Malcolm 277 1.6 N/A
Independent Mark Heslehurst 275 1.6 N/A
Majority 8,211 48.7 +22.7
Turnout 16,866
Labour hold Swing –
General election 2010: Middlesbrough[22][23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Stuart Bell 15,351 45.9 N/A
Liberal Democrats Chris Foote-Wood 6,662 19.9 N/A
Conservative John Walsh 6,283 18.8 N/A
Independent Joan McTigue 1,969 5.9 N/A
BNP Michael Ferguson 1,954 5.8 N/A
UKIP Robert Parker 1,236 3.7 N/A
Majority 8,689 26.0 N/A
Turnout 33,455 51.4 N/A
Labour win (new boundaries)

Elections in the 2000s
General election 2005: Middlesbrough[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Stuart Bell 18,562 57.8 −9.8
Liberal Democrats Joe Michna 5,995 18.7 +8.3
Conservative Caroline Flynn-Macleod 5,263 16.4 −2.7
BNP Ron Armes 819 2.5 N/A
UKIP Michael Landers 768 2.4 N/A
Independent Jackie Elder 503 1.6 N/A
Independent Derrick Arnott 230 0.7 N/A
Majority 12,567 39.1 -9.4
Turnout 32,140 48.8 −1.0
Labour hold Swing −9.0
General election 2001: Middlesbrough[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Stuart Bell 22,783 67.6 −3.9
Conservative Alex Finn 6,453 19.1 +2.0
Liberal Democrats Keith Miller 3,512 10.4 +1.9
Socialist Alliance Geoffrey Kerr-Morgan 577 1.7 N/A
Socialist Labour Kai Andersen 392 1.2 N/A
Majority 16,330 48.5 -5.7
Turnout 33,717 49.8 −15.2
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s
General election 1997: Middlesbrough[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Stuart Bell 32,925 71.4 N/A
Conservative Liam Benham 7,907 17.2 N/A
Liberal Democrats Alison Charlesworth 3,934 8.5 N/A
Referendum Robert Edwards 1,331 2.9 N/A
Majority 25,018 54.2 N/A
Turnout 65.0 N/A
Labour win (new boundaries)
General election 1992: Middlesbrough[27][28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Stuart Bell 26,343 64.1 +4.4
Conservative Paul R. Rayner 10,559 25.7 +0.7
Liberal Democrats Rosamund Jordan 4,201 10.2 −5.1
Majority 15,784 38.4 +3.7
Turnout 41,103 69.8 −1.1
Labour hold Swing +1.9

Elections in the 1980s
General election 1987: Middlesbrough[29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Stuart Bell 25,747 59.7
Conservative Robert Orr-Ewing 10,789 25.0
Liberal Philip Hawley 6,594 15.3
Majority 14,958 34.7
Turnout 71.0
Labour hold Swing
General election 1983: Middlesbrough[30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Stuart Bell 21,220 50.7 N/A
Conservative L.H. Campey 11,551 27.6 N/A
Liberal A.D. Sanders 8,871 21.2 N/A
Workers Revolutionary M.A. Simpson 207 0.5 N/A
Majority 9,669 23.1 N/A
Turnout 66.4 N/A
Labour win (new boundaries)

Elections in the 1970s
General election 1979: Middlesbrough
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Arthur Bottomley 24,872 56.2
Conservative C Fenwick 13,463 30.4
Liberal Peter Freitag 4,023 9.1
Workers Revolutionary M Simpson 1,018 2.3
Independent Labour J Wilcox 861 2.0
Majority 11,409 25.8
Turnout 67.9
Labour hold Swing
General election October 1974: Middlesbrough
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Arthur Bottomley 22,791 61.8
Conservative Edward Leigh 8,984 24.4
Liberal Chris Foote Wood 5,080 13.8
Majority 13,807 37.4
Turnout 61.2
Labour hold Swing
General election February 1974: Middlesbrough
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Arthur Bottomley 27,324 66.3 N/A
Conservative Geoffrey Dickens 13,915 33.7 N/A
Majority 13,409 32.6 N/A
Turnout 41,239 69.4 N/A
Labour win (new seat)

Elections in the 1910s

General Election 1914/15:

A General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

General election December 1910: Middlesbrough [31][32]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Penry Williams 10,313 61.1 +10.6
Conservative Thomas Gibson Poole 6,568 38.9 +3.6
Majority 3,745 22.2 +7.0
Turnout 16,881 77.6 −10.4
Registered electors 21,756
Liberal hold Swing +3.5
Walls
General election January 1910: Middlesbrough [31][32]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Penry Williams 9,670 50.5 -2.1
Conservative Arthur Charles Dorman 6,756 35.3 -3.7
Labour Patrick Walls 2,710 14.2 N/A
Majority 2,914 15.2 +1.6
Turnout 19,136 88.0 +1.3
Registered electors 21,756
Liberal hold Swing +0.8

Elections in the 1900s
Wilson
General election 1906: Middlesbrough [31][33]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Lib-Lab Havelock Wilson 9,271 52.6 +2.8
Conservative Samuel Sadler 6,864 39.0 -11.2
Independent Labour George Lansbury 1,484 8.4 N/A
Majority 2,407 13.6 N/A
Turnout 17,619 86.7 +8.9
Registered electors 20,322
Lib-Lab gain from Conservative Swing +7.0
Sadler
General election 1900: Middlesbrough [31][33][34]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Samuel Sadler 6,760 50.2 +9.0
Lib-Lab Havelock Wilson 6,705 49.8 −9.0
Majority 55 0.4 N/A
Turnout 13,465 77.8 +1.6
Registered electors 17,307
Conservative gain from Liberal Labour (UK) Swing +9.0

Elections in the 1890s
Wilson
General election 1895: Middlesbrough [31][33][34]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Lib-Lab Havelock Wilson 6,755 58.8 +25.2
Conservative Samuel Sadler 4,735 41.2 +13.6
Majority 2,020 17.6 N/A
Turnout 11,490 76.2 -3.4
Registered electors 15,077
Lib-Lab gain from Independent Labour Swing N/A
Robson
General election 1892: Middlesbrough [31][33]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Independent Labour Havelock Wilson 4,691 38.8 N/A
Liberal William Robson 4,062 33.6 N/A
Liberal Unionist Hugh Bell 3,333 27.6 N/A
Majority 629 5.2 N/A
Turnout 12,086 79.6 N/A
Registered electors 15,192
Independent Labour gain from Liberal Swing N/A

Elections in the 1880s
General election 1886: Middlesbrough [31][33]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Isaac Wilson Unopposed
Liberal hold
Dixon
General election 1885: Middlesbrough [31][33][35]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Isaac Wilson 6,961 63.3 +1.6
Conservative Raylton Dixon 4,035 36.7 +14.5
Majority 2,926 26.6 −12.9
Turnout 10,996 79.3 +10.6
Registered electors 13,864
Liberal hold Swing -6.5
General election 1880: Middlesbrough[36]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Isaac Wilson 4,515 61.7 +2.3
Conservative Samuel Sadler 1,626 22.2 +6.3
Lib-Lab Edward Dillon Lewis[37] 1,171 16.0 −8.6
Majority 2,889 39.5 +4.7
Turnout 7,312 68.7 -1.9
Registered electors 10,641
Liberal hold Swing +2.4

Elections in the 1870s
By-election 5 July 1878: Middlesbrough[36]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Isaac Wilson 5,307 68.7 +9.3
Conservative Samuel Sadler 2,415 31.3 +6.7
Majority 2,892 37.5 +2.7
Turnout 7,722 65.3 -5.3
Registered electors 11,824
Liberal hold Swing +1.4
  • Caused by Bolckow's death.
General election 1874: Middlesbrough[36]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Henry Bolckow 3,719 59.4 N/A
Lib-Lab John Kane 1,541 24.6 N/A
Conservative William Randolph Innes Hopkins[38] 996 15.9 N/A
Majority 2,178 34.8 N/A
Turnout 6,256 70.6 N/A
Registered electors 8,862
Liberal hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1860s
General election 1868: Middlesbrough[36]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Henry Bolckow Unopposed
Registered electors 5,196
Liberal win (new seat)
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See also

Notes and references
Notes
  1. A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.
  3. Middlesbrough was revived for the February 1974 general election
  4. Middlesbrough East contributed more than half of its former area to the modern boundaries (as variously drawn after 1974)
References
  1. "England Parliamentary electorates 2010–2018". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  2. Thornaby MB – units covering this place A Vision of Britain history website; University of Portsmouth and others. Retrieved 17 April 2017
  3. List of Labour MPs elected in 2015 by % majority UK Political.info. Retrieved 29 January 2017
  4. "General Election Results from the Electoral Commission".
  5. "Representation of the People Act 1867" (PDF). Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  6. Constituency Profile The Guardian
  7. Unemployment statistics The Guardian
  8. "2011 census interactive maps". Archived from the original on 29 January 2016.
  9. "No surgeries for 14 years - is Sir Stuart Bell Britain's laziest MP?". 8 September 2011.
  10. "Are Teessiders getting enough from Sir Stuart Bell?". 6 September 2011.
  11. Walters, Simon; Wilkinson, Paul (13 February 2011). "Labour veteran hasn't held voters' surgery for 14 years: Mother is snubbed 40 times by MP who says 'I haven't let people down'". Daily Mail. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  12. gazettelive Administrator (6 September 2011). "Are Teessiders getting enough from Sir Stuart Bell?". gazettelive.
  13. Jonathan Brown No surgeries for 14 years – is Sir Stuart Bell Britain's laziest MP?, Independent, 7 September 2011
  14. Richard Moss Middlesbrough MP Sir Stuart Bell fights laziest MP tag, BBC, 9 September 2011
  15. Polly Curtis (8 September 2011). "Reality check: Who are Britain's laziest parliamentarians?". The Guardian.: "Bell has been an MP for nearly 30 years and has had a distinguished career in parliament as a frontbench spokesman on trade and industry in opposition and the spokesman for the Church of England in the House of Commons and member of the House of Commons commission until last year. He's part of a breed of politicians – also including the Tory Edward Leigh and Labour's Gerald Kaufman – who have been extremely active parliamentarians but not always maintained an office in their constituency. One measure of their parliamentary work is the proportion of votes they turn up to."
  16. gazettelive Administrator (8 September 2011). "Labour launches probe into Middlesbrough MP". gazettelive.
  17. Fernandez, Colin (8 September 2011). "Is this Britain's laziest MP? Labour veteran who claims £83,000 for staff but hasn't held a constituency surgery for 14 YEARS". London: Daily Mail. Retrieved 8 September 2011.
  18. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "M" (part 2)
  19. "Election of a Member of Parliament for Middlesbrough" (PDF). Middlesbrough Council. 15 November 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  20. "Election 2017: Middlesbrough". BBC. 17 May 2017. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
  21. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  22. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  23. "UK > England > North East > Middlesbrough". Election 2010. BBC. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
  24. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  25. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  26. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  27. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  28. "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  29. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  30. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  31. British Parliamentary Election Results 1885–1918, FWS Craig
  32. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
  33. The Liberal Year Book, 1907
  34. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
  35. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886
  36. Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
  37. "Middlesbrough". Darlington & Stockton Times, Ripon & Richmond Chronicle. 20 March 1880. p. 5. Retrieved 4 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  38. "Latest Market News". Newcastle Courant. 9 February 1874. p. 8. Retrieved 6 January 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.

Sources
  • Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1977]. British parliamentary election results 1832–1885 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-26-4.
  • Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1974]. British parliamentary election results 1885–1918 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-27-2.
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