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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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Easington (UK Parliament Constituency)
Easington is a constituency created in 1950 represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Grahame Morris of the Labour Party.

Constituency profile

The constituency comprises the majority of the former district of the same name and takes in the coastal portion of the unitary authority of County Durham. The principal towns are Peterlee and Seaham. A seat of former mining traditions, it was until recently one of Labour's safest in Britain — Manny Shinwell was MP for 20 years.

Constituents' occupations include to a significant degree agriculture and the service sector, however the area was formerly heavily economically supported by the mining of coal, iron ore and businesses in the county still extract gangue minerals in present mining, such as fluorspar for the smelting of aluminium, to the south in the county is Darlington, which has particular strengths in international transport construction, including bridges. To the north is the large city of Sunderland which has a large service sector.

Boundaries

1950–1974

  • The Rural District of Easington.

Created by the Representation of the People Act 1948 for the 1950 general election from the abolished Seaham constituency,but excluding the Urban District of Seaham Harbour, which was included in Houghton-le-Spring.

1974–1983

  • The Rural District of Stockton; and
  • in the Rural District of Easington the parishes of Castle Eden, Easington, Haswell, Hawthorn, Horden, Hutton Henry, Monk Hesleden, Nesbitt, Peterlee, Sheraton with Hulam, Shotton, Thornley, and Wingate.

Gained the Rural District of Stockton from the abolished constituency of Sedgefield. Northern-most parts, including Murton, transferred to Houghton-le-Spring.

1983–2010

  • The District of Easington wards of Acre Rigg, Blackhalls, Dawdon, Dene House, Deneside, Easington Colliery, Easington Village, Eden Hill, Haswell, High Colliery, Horden North, Horden South, Howletch, Murton East, Murton West, Park, Passfield, Seaham, Shotton, South, and South Hetton.

Seaham and Murton returned from the abolished constituency of Houghton-le-Spring. Area comprising the former Rural District of Stockton had been included in the new county of Cleveland, and its contents now distributed between Hartlepool, Stockton North and Stockton South. Southern parts of the District of Easington included in the re-established constituency of Sedgefield.

2010–2024

  • The District of Easington wards of Acre Rigg, Blackhalls, Dawdon, Dene House, Deneside, Easington Colliery, Easington Village and South Hetton, Eden Hill, Haswell and Shotton, Horden North, Horden South, Howletch, Hutton Henry, Murton East, Murton West, Passfield, Seaham Harbour, and Seaham North.

Following their review of parliamentary representation in County Durham for the 2010 general election, the Boundary Commission for England made only minor changes to the boundaries of Easington (on the southern part of the boundary with Sedgefield).

In the 2009 structural changes to local government in England, the local authority districts in Durham were abolished and replaced with a single unitary authority; however, this did not affect the boundaries of the constituency.

2024–present

Following to the 2023 periodic review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, from the 2024 general election, the constituency has the following boundaries:

  • County of Durham wards of: Blackhalls, Dawdon, Deneside, Easington, Horden, Murton, Passfield, Peterlee East, Peterlee West, Seaham, Shotton and South Hetton, Trimdon and Thornley (part), and Wingate.

The constituency was expanded to bring the electorate within the permitted range, by adding the communities of Thornley and Wingate from the abolished constituency of Sedgefield.

Political history

Results of the winning party

The area has been held by the Labour Party since the 1922 election (including predecessor seat), when the seat was held by the party leader and Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald. Labour's majority in the seat has never fallen below 19% (the result in the party's 2019 landslide defeat - and in the party's 2024 landslide victory) in its history, and has only been below 40% four times (in 1979, 1983, 2019 and 2024). Labour won a majority of votes in every election from the seat's creation in 1950 until 2019, when their vote share fell below 50% for the first time.

Results of other parties

The 2015 general election saw an above-average swing to UKIP of 18.7%; the national average was 9.5% . Prior to 2019, the Conservative Party had last come second in the seat in 2001. Labour's candidate won more than three times that of UKIP in 2015, scoring 61%, although the latter polled the strongest second-place in the seat since 1983. 2017 saw the UKIP vote collapse and the Conservative vote rise, although a slight rise in the Labour vote ensured the majority remained above 40%. In 2019, the newly formed Brexit Party (later renamed Reform UK) won 19.5% of the vote, their sixth best result in the election, contributing to a dramatic collapse in Labour's vote share and majority. The 2024 election saw Labour's vote increase slightly, but Reform UK overtook the Conservatives, increasing its vote to 29.8% (11th best result), meaning that Labour's margin of victory was unchanged at just over 19%.

Turnout

Turnout has ranged from 87.7% in 1950 to 49.5% in 2024. It has been somewhat inconsistent with national averages, falling in 1992 and 2005 when national turnout increased.

Members of Parliament

Election Member Party
1950 Manny Shinwell Labour
1970 Jack Dormand Labour
1987 John Cummings Labour
2010 Grahame Morris Labour

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Easington
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Grahame Morris 16,774 48.9 +2.1
Reform UK Lynn Murphy 10,232 29.8 +11.7
Conservative Joanne Howey 3,753 10.9 −16.2
North East Mary Cartwright 1,581 4.6 +1.0
Green Stephen Ashfield 1,173 3.4 +3.1
Liberal Democrats Tony Ferguson 811 2.4 −1.7
Majority 6,542 19.1
Turnout 34,385 49.5
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Easington
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Grahame Morris 15,723 45.5 −18.2
Conservative Clare Ambrosino 9,142 26.4 +3.7
Brexit Party Julie Maughan 6,744 19.5 New
Liberal Democrats Dominic Haney 1,526 4.4 +3.1
North East Susan McDonnell 1,448 4.2 −2.4
Majority 6,581 19.1 −21.9
Turnout 34,583 56.5 −1.9
Labour hold Swing -10.9
General election 2017: Easington
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Grahame Morris 23,152 63.7 +2.7
Conservative Barney Campbell 8,260 22.7 +9.8
North East Susan McDonnell 2,355 6.6 +4.1
UKIP Allyn Roberts 1,727 4.7 −14.0
Liberal Democrats Tom Hancock 460 1.3 −1.1
Green Martie Warin 410 1.1 −1.0
Majority 14,892 41.0 −1.3
Turnout 36,364 58.4 +2.3
Labour hold Swing -3.6
General election 2015: Easington
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Grahame Morris 21,132 61.0 +2.1
UKIP Jonathan Arnott 6,491 18.7 +14.0
Conservative Chris Hampsheir 4,478 12.9 −0.8
Liberal Democrats Luke Armstrong 834 2.4 −13.6
North East Susan McDonnell 810 2.3 New
Green Martie Warin 733 2.1 New
Socialist (GB) Steve Colborn 146 0.4 New
Majority 14,641 42.3 −0.6
Turnout 34,624 56.1 +1.4
Labour hold Swing -6.0
General election 2010: Easington
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Grahame Morris 20,579 58.9 −12.4
Liberal Democrats Tara Saville 5,597 16.0 +3.1
Conservative Richard Harrison 4,790 13.7 +3.0
BNP Cheryl Dunn 2,317 6.6 +3.4
UKIP Martyn Aiken 1,631 4.7 New
Majority 14,982 42.9 −15.6
Turnout 34,914 54.7 +2.8
Labour hold Swing −7.7

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Easington
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Cummings 22,733 71.4 −5.4
Liberal Democrats Christopher Ord 4,097 12.9 +2.6
Conservative Lucille Nicholson 3,400 10.7 +0.4
BNP Ian McDonald 1,042 3.3 New
Socialist Labour Dave Robinson 583 1.8 −0.7
Majority 18,636 58.5 −8.0
Turnout 31,855 52.1 −1.5
Labour hold Swing −4.0
General election 2001: Easington
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Cummings 25,360 76.8 −3.4
Conservative Philip F. Lovel 3,411 10.3 +1.7
Liberal Democrats Christopher J. Ord 3,408 10.3 +3.1
Socialist Labour Dave Robinson 831 2.5 New
Majority 21,949 66.5 −5.1
Turnout 33,010 53.6 −13.4
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Easington
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Cummings 33,600 80.2 +7.5
Conservative Jason D. Hollands 3,588 8.6 −8.1
Liberal Democrats Jim P. Heppell 3,025 7.2 −3.4
Referendum Richard B. Pulfrey 1,179 2.8 New
Socialist (GB) Steve P. Colborn 503 1.2 New
Majority 30,012 71.6 +15.6
Turnout 41,895 67.0 −5.5
Labour hold Swing +7.8
General election 1992: Easington
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Cummings 34,269 72.7 +4.6
Conservative William Perry 7,879 16.7 +0.4
Liberal Democrats Peter Freitag 5,001 10.6 −5.0
Majority 26,390 56.0 +4.2
Turnout 47,149 72.5 −0.9
Labour hold Swing +2.1

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Easington
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Cummings 32,396 68.1 +8.7
Conservative William Perry 7,757 16.3 −0.2
Liberal George Howard 7,447 15.6 −9.5
Majority 24,639 51.8 +18.5
Turnout 47,600 73.4 +5.9
Labour hold Swing
General election 1983: Easington
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jack Dormand 25,912 59.4 −1.2
Liberal Frank E. Patterson 11,120 25.1 +10.7
Conservative Colin J. Coulson-Thomas 7,342 16.5 −8.2
Majority 14,792 33.3 −2.6
Turnout 44,374 67.5 −6.8
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: Easington
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jack Dormand 29,537 60.60
Conservative J.S. Smailes 11,981 24.70
Liberal V. Morley 6,979 14.39
Majority 17,556 35.90
Turnout 48,497 74.33
Labour hold Swing
General election October 1974: Easington
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jack Dormand 28,984 65.82
Conservative J.S. Smailes 8,047 18.27
Liberal N.J. Scaggs 7,005 15.91 New
Majority 20,937 47.55
Turnout 44,036 69.01
Labour hold Swing
General election February 1974: Easington
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jack Dormand 33,637 71.96
Conservative J.S. Smailes 13,107 28.04
Majority 20,530 43.92
Turnout 46,744 73.95
Labour hold Swing
General election 1970: Easington
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jack Dormand 33,418 79.80
Conservative Michael Spicer 8,457 20.20
Majority 24,961 59.60
Turnout 41,875 69.28
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1966: Easington
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Manny Shinwell 32,097 81.37
Conservative Michael Spicer 7,350 18.63
Majority 24,747 62.74
Turnout 39,447 70.54
Labour hold Swing
General election 1964: Easington
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Manny Shinwell 34,028 80.45
Conservative George W Rossiter 8,270 19.55
Majority 25,758 60.90
Turnout 42,298 75.22
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1959: Easington
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Manny Shinwell 36,552 79.79
Conservative George W Rossiter 9,259 20.21
Majority 27,293 59.58
Turnout 45,811 80.81
Labour hold Swing
General election 1955: Easington
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Manny Shinwell 34,352 79.07
Conservative George W Rossiter 9,095 20.93
Majority 25,257 58.14
Turnout 43,447 79.36
Labour hold Swing
General election 1951: Easington
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Manny Shinwell 37,899 80.77
Conservative George W Rossiter 9,025 19.23
Majority 28,874 61.54
Turnout 46,924 86.74
Labour hold Swing
General election 1950: Easington
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Manny Shinwell 38,367 81.05
Conservative C.A. Macfarlane 8,972 18.95
Majority 29,395 62.10
Turnout 47,339 87.69
Labour win (new seat)

See also

Notes

  1. ^ A county 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.

References

  1. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – North East". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  2. ^ Craig, Fred W. S. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1885–1972;. Chichester: Political Reference Publications. p. 58. ISBN 0-900178-09-4. OCLC 539011.
  3. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1970" (PDF). p. 43.
  4. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983" (PDF). p. 23.
  5. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". In the County of Durham.
  6. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". In Durham and Darlington.
  7. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 4 North East region.
  8. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "E" (part 1)
  9. ^ Easington
  10. ^ "Easington Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  11. ^ "Easington Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  12. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  13. ^ "New political party the North East Party launches its first ever manifesto". Chronicle Live. 29 January 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  14. ^ "General Election – Campaign News | the Socialist Party of Great Britain". Archived from the original on 20 January 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  15. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  16. ^ http://www.durham.gov.uk/PDFApproved/ParliamentaryElection2010_SoPN_EAS.pdf
  17. ^ "BBC NEWS – Election 2010 – Easington". BBC News.
  18. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  19. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  20. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  21. ^ "Easington: Constituency – Politics". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
  22. ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  23. ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  24. ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  25. ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

54°47′24″N 1°21′07″W / 54.790°N 1.352°W / 54.790; -1.352

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