Hartlepool (UK Parliament constituency)

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.

Boundaries

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

History

Hartlepool was enfranchised as a borough constituency by the Reform Act of 1867, being given 1 MP. It had previously been part of a 2-MP electoral division in County Durham.

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 was the last before the UK General Election, 2005.

Members of Parliament

• Constituency created (1868)
• 1964 — 1992: Edward Leadbitter, Labour
• 1992 — 2004: Peter Mandelson, Labour
• 2004 — present: Iain Wright, Labour

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
	UKIP	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
	UKIP	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
	Independent (The 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 Democrat	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	%	±%
Majority
Turnout			67,712	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      

General Election 1992: Hartlepool

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Majority
Turnout			67,969	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

General Election 1987: Hartlepool

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Majority
Turnout			68,686	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

General Election 1983: Hartlepool

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Majority
Turnout			69,346	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

General Election 1979: Hartlepool

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Majority
Turnout

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

See also

• List of Parliamentary constituencies in Cleveland