Gateshead_(UK_Parliament_constituency)

Gateshead (UK Parliament constituency)

Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 2010 onwards

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]}

Quick Facts County, Electorate ...

Gateshead
Borough constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Gateshead in Tyne and Wear for the 2010 general election
Location of Tyne and Wear within England
County	Tyne and Wear
Electorate	66,066 (December 2010)^[1]
Major settlements	Gateshead
Current constituency
Created	2010
Member of Parliament	Ian Mearns (Labour)
Seats	One
Created from	Gateshead East and Washington West, and Tyne Bridge
Replaced by	Gateshead Central and Whickham
1832–1950
Seats	One
Type of constituency	Borough constituency
Created from	County Durham
Replaced by	Gateshead 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

First creation

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

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

Map of present boundaries

1832-1918

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

The County Borough of Gateshead.^[7]

No change to boundaries.

2010–present

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

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

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

More information Election, Member ...

	Member^[9]	Party
1832	Cuthbert Rippon	Radical^[10]^[11]^[12]
1841	Sir William Hutt	Radical^[13]^[14]
1859	Sir William Hutt	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

More information Election, Member ...

Election		Member^[9]	Party
	2010	Ian Mearns	Labour