Stockton North (UK Parliament constituency)

Stockton North is a constituency^{[n 1]} covering the town of Stockton-on-Tees in County Durham and other nearby settlements in the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees located north of the River Tees, represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament by Chris McDonald, a member of the Labour Party, having been elected in the 2024 general election.

Stockton North
County constituency for the House of Commons
Boundaries since 2024
Boundary of Stockton North in the North East England
County	County Durham
Electorate	70,242 (2024)
Major settlements	Stockton-on-Tees, Billingham, Wolviston, Port Clarence and Thorpe Thewles
Current constituency
Created	1983
Member of Parliament	Chris McDonald (Labour)
Seats	One
Created from	Stockton-on-Tees

Boundaries

Map of 2010–2024 boundaries

Historic

1983–1997: The Borough of Stockton-on-Tees wards of Blue Hall, Charltons, Elm Tree, Glebe, Grange, Hardwick, Marsh House, Mile House, Newtown, Northfield, Norton, Portrack and Tilery, Roseworth, St Aidan's, St Cuthbert's, Whitton, and Wolviston.

1997–2010: The Borough of Stockton-on-Tees wards of Blue Hall, Charltons, Glebe, Grange, Hardwick, Marsh House, Mile House, Newtown, Northfield, Norton, Portrack and Tilery, Roseworth, St Aidan's, St Cuthbert's, Whitton, and Wolviston.

2010–2024: The Borough of Stockton-on-Tees wards of Billingham Central, Billingham East, Billingham North, Billingham South, Billingham West, Hardwick, Newtown, Northern Parishes, Norton North, Norton South, Norton West, Roseworth, Stockton Town Centre, and Western Parishes.

Current

Further to the 2023 periodic review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the composition of the constituency was defined as comprising the following wards of the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees (as they existed on 1 December 2020):

• Billingham Central; Billingham East; Billingham North; Billingham South; Billingham West; Hardwick and Salters Lane; Newtown; Northern Parishes; Norton North; Norton South; Norton West; Parkfield and Oxbridge; Roseworth; Stockton Town Centre.^[1]

In order to bring the electorate within the permitted electoral range, the Parkfield and Oxbridge ward was transferred in from Stockton South (renamed Stockton West) in exchange for Western Parishes.

Following a local government boundary review which came into effect in May 2023,^[2][3] the constituency now comprises the following wards of the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees from the 2024 general election:

• Billingham Central; Billingham East; Billingham North; Billingham South; Billingham West & Wolviston; Eaglescliffe East (small part); Grangefield (majority); Hardwick & Salters Lane; Newtown; Northern Parishes (majority); Norton Central; Norton North; Norton South; Ropner; Roseworth; Stockton Town Centre; and a very small part of Hartburn.^[4]

Stockton North consists of the northern part of the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees in County Durham, including the town centre and the nearby towns and villages of Billingham, Norton, Wolviston and Thorpe Thewles.^[5]

History

The constituency was created for the 1983 general election, partially replacing the former Stockton-on-Tees constituency. The outgoing MP for Stockton-on-Tees was Bill Rodgers, who had held the seat since 1962. He had been a Labour Party member until 1981, when he left to found the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

The 1983 election was the first since Rodgers had left the Labour Party, and he was narrowly defeated by Labour's Frank Cook. Cook held the seat with majorities between 16% and 48% until the 2010 general election, when after 27 years as the MP he was de-selected by his local party. Cook chose to run again however, as an independent candidate. Cook polled less than 5% of the vote, fifth of the seven candidates who stood, and joined four of these in forfeiting his deposit and the seat was held by the Labour Party's next candidate, Alex Cunningham.

In November 2021, Cunningham announced his intention to stand down at the 2024 general election,^[6] when the seat was won by his successor as Labour candidate, Chris McDonald.

Constituency profile

The town of Stockton-on-Tees is a significant exports manufacturing and processing base in the United Kingdom. Stockton North has often in economically troubled times significantly more unemployment than Stockton South: workless claimants, registered jobseekers, were in November 2012 significantly above the national average of 3.8%, at 7.0% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian compared to 4.5% in Stockton South.^[7]

In November 2023 Home Secretary James Cleverly was accused of calling the constituency "a shithole" during a Commons debate. The comment was said to have been made after the prime minister Rishi Sunak was challenged by MP Alex Cunningham on the level of child poverty in his constituency.^[8][9]

Members of Parliament

Election		Member[10]	Party
	1983	Frank Cook	Labour
	2010	Alex Cunningham	Labour
	2024	Chris McDonald	Labour

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Stockton North^[11][12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Chris McDonald	17,128	45.8	−0.9
	Reform UK	John McDermottroe	9,189	24.6	+15.6
	Conservative	Niall Innes	8,028	21.5	−16.0
	Green	Sam Bradford	1,923	5.1	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	Jo Barton	1,133	3.0	−1.0
Majority			7,939	21.2	+18.7
Turnout			37,401	53.2	−8.5
Registered electors			70,242
	Labour hold		Swing

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Stockton North^[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Alex Cunningham	17,728	43.1	−13.8
	Conservative	Steven Jackson	16,701	40.6	+4.1
	Brexit Party	Martin Walker	3,907	9.5	New
	Liberal Democrats	Aidan King	1,631	4.0	+2.5
	North East	Mark Burdon	1,189	2.9	New
Majority			1,027	2.5	−17.9
Turnout			41,156	61.7	−2.8
	Labour hold		Swing	−9.0

General election 2017: Stockton North^[14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Alex Cunningham[15]	24,304	56.9	+7.8
	Conservative	Mark Fletcher	15,589	36.5	+8.5
	UKIP	Ted Strike	1,834	4.3	−14.9
	Liberal Democrats	Sarah Brown[16]	646	1.5	−0.7
	Green	Emma Robson	358	0.8	New
Majority			8,715	20.4	−0.7
Turnout			42,731	64.5	+4.7
	Labour hold		Swing	−0.3

General election 2015: Stockton North^[17]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Alex Cunningham	19,436	49.1	+6.3
	Conservative	Christopher Daniels	11,069	28.0	+2.1
	UKIP	Mandy Boylett	7,581	19.2	+15.3
	Liberal Democrats	Anthony Sycamore	884	2.2	−13.9
	North East	John Tait	601	1.5	New
Majority			8,367	21.1	+4.2
Turnout			39,571	59.8	+1.2
	Labour hold		Swing	+2.2

General election 2010: Stockton North^[18][19]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Alex Cunningham	16,923	42.8	−12.0
	Conservative	Ian Galletley	10,247	25.9	+4.7
	Liberal Democrats	Philip Latham	6,342	16.1	−2.6
	BNP	James MacPherson	1,724	4.4	+1.8
	Independent	Frank Cook	1,577	4.0	New
	UKIP	Gordon Parkin	1,556	3.9	+1.2
	English Democrat	Ian Saul	1,129	2.9	New
Majority			6,676	16.9	−17.2
Turnout			39,498	58.6	+0.5
	Labour hold		Swing	-8.3

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Stockton North^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Frank Cook	20,012	54.9	−8.5
	Conservative	Harriett Baldwin	7,575	20.8	−1.3
	Liberal Democrats	Neil Hughes	6,869	18.9	+7.0
	BNP	Kevin Hughes	986	2.7	New
	UKIP	Gordon Parkin	986	2.7	New
Majority			12,439	34.1	−7.2
Turnout			36,428	57.6	+2.8
	Labour hold		Swing	-3.6

General election 2001: Stockton North^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Frank Cook	22,470	63.4	−3.4
	Conservative	Amanda Vigar	7,823	22.1	+3.3
	Liberal Democrats	Mary Wallace	4,208	11.9	+1.1
	Green	Bill Wennington	926	2.6	New
Majority			14,647	41.3	−6.7
Turnout			35,427	54.8	−14.2
	Labour hold		Swing	−3.3

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Stockton North^[22]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Frank Cook	29,726	66.8	+14.5
	Conservative	Bryan Johnston	8,369	18.8	−13.9
	Liberal Democrats	Suzanne Fletcher	4,816	10.8	−3.2
	Referendum	Kevin McConnell	1,563	3.5	New
Majority			21,357	48.0	+28.4
Turnout			44,474	69.0	−7.8
	Labour hold		Swing	+14.2

General election 1992: Stockton North^[23]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Frank Cook	27,918	52.3	+3.1
	Conservative	Simon Brocklebank-Fowler	17,444	32.7	+0.2
	Liberal Democrats	Suzanne Fletcher	7,454	14.0	−4.3
	Independent Labour	Ken McGarvey	550	1.0	New
Majority			10,474	19.6	+3.0
Turnout			53,366	76.8	+1.4
	Labour hold		Swing	+1.5

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Stockton North^[24]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Frank Cook	26,043	49.2	+12.1
	Conservative	David Faber	17,242	32.5	−0.8
	SDP	Nicholas Bosanquet	9,712	18.3	−11.3
Majority			8,801	16.6	+12.8
Turnout			52,997	75.4	+5.1
	Labour hold		Swing	+6.5

General election 1983: Stockton North^[25]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Frank Cook	18,339	37.1
	Conservative	Harry Davies	16,469	33.3
	SDP	Bill Rodgers	14,630	29.6
Majority			1,870	3.8
Turnout			49,438	70.3
	Labour win (new seat)

See also

• Stockton-on-Tees, approximate predecessor, abolished 1983.
• List of parliamentary constituencies in Cleveland
• History of parliamentary constituencies and boundaries in Cleveland
• List of parliamentary constituencies in North East England (region)

Notes

1. A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)