Hartlepool (constituency) Boundaries Westminster Elections

The seat is currently coterminous with the borough of Hartlepool, which has close to the average population for a UK parlimentary constituency.

2 Westminster elections

2.1 MPs since 1964

3 Politics and History of the constituency

Hartlepool is a traditionally Labour constituency, though it has attracted surprises at times. In 1992 Edward Leadbitter stood down and was succeed 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 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 "But they underestimated the people of Hartlepool. And they underestimated me, Peter Mandelson, for I AM A FIGHTER AND NOT A QUITTER!"

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 which included free bananas for schoolchildren.

Mandelson then went on to quit his role as MP for Hartlepool as he was appointed as a European Commissioner in the summer of 2004 triggered a by-election which took place on September 30 2004. The Hartlepool by-election is likely to be the last before the next General Election.

4 Election results

4.1 General election 1979

Lab 28,079 55.4 C 19,192 37.9 L 3,408 6.7 maj. 8,887 17.5

4.2 General election 1983

electorate 69,346; turnout 69.8%

E. Leadbitter Lab 22,048 45.5 - 9.9 F. Rogers C 18,958 39.2 + 1.3 N. Bertram SDP 7,422 15.3 + 8.6 maj. 3,090 6.3

4.3 General election 1987

electorate 68,686; turnout 73.0%

E. Leadbitter Lab 24,296 48.5 + 3.0 P.C. Catchpole C 17,007 33.9 - 5.3 A. Preece L 7,047 14.0 - 1.3 I.J.H. Cameron Ind 1,786 3.6 maj. 7,289 14.6

4.4 General election 1992

Electorate 67,969; turnout 76.1%

P.B. Mandelson Lab 26,816 51.8 + 3.3 G.M. Robb C 18,034 34.9 + 1.0 I.J.H. Cameron L Dem 6,860 13.3 - 0.7 maj. 8,782 16.9

4.5 General election 1997

Electorate 67,712; turnout 65.6%

P.B. Mandelson Lab 26,997 60.7 + 8.9 M.A. Horsley C 9,489 21.3 -13.5 R.B. Clark L Dem 6,248 14.1 + 0.8 Miss M.A. Henderson RP 1,718* 3.9 maj. 17,508 39.4

4.6 General election 2001

Electorate 68,164; turnout 55.8%

Rt. Hon. P.B. Mandelson Lab 22,506 59.1 - 1.6 A.A. Robinson C 7,935 20.9 - 0.5 N.F.H. Boddy L Dem 5,717 15.0 + 1.0 A. Scargill S Lab P 912* 2.4 I.J.H. Cameron Ind 557* 1.5 J.R. Booth Ind Lab 424* 1.1 maj. 14,571 38.2

4.7 By-election 2004

I.D. Wright Lab 12,752 40.7 -18.5 Mrs. J. Dunn L Dem 10,719 34.2 +19.2 S. Allison UKIP 3,193 10.2 J.P. Middleton C 3,044 9.7 -11.1 J.A. Bloom RU 572* 1.8 Mrs. I. Ryder GP 255* 0.8 J.W. Starkey NF 246* 0.8 P.M. Watson Ind 139* 0.4 C. Herriot S Lab P 95* 0.3 - 2.1 Rev. Dr. R.T.B. Rodgers Ind 91* 0.3 P. Berriman Ind 90* 0.3 A. Hope MRLP 80* 0.3 R. Carroll Rainbow 45* 0.1 R.E. Abrams EDP 41* 0.1 maj. 2,033 6.5

Hartlepool (constituency)

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