# Gateshead (UK Parliament constituency)

Gateshead was a constituency most recently represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since it was re-established in 2010 until its abolition for the 2024 general election by Ian Mearns of the Labour Party.
Under the 2023 periodic review of Westminster constituencies, the majority of the constituency was included in the new seat of Gateshead Central and Whickham, with the Felling, and Windy Nook and Whitehills wards being added to the new constituency of Jarrow and Gateshead East.

## History
### First creation

The seat was first created by the Reform Act 1832 as a single-member parliamentary borough. It was abolished under the Representation of the People Act 1948 for the 1950 general election and split into Gateshead East and Gateshead West.

### 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
### 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.
See map on Vision of Britain website.

### 1918–1950

* The County Borough of Gateshead.
No change to boundaries.

### 2010–2024

* 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.

## 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

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1832 | Cuthbert Rippon | Radical |
| 1841 | Sir William Hutt | Radical |
| 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 | Constituency abolished |

### MPs since 2010

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 2010 | Ian Mearns | Labour |
| | 2024 | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished |

## Elections results 2010–2019
### Elections in the 2010s

General election 2010: Gateshead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ian Mearns | 20,712 | 54.1 | −7.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Frank Hindle | 8,163 | 21.3 | +0.6 |
| | Conservative | Hazel Anderson | 5,716 | 14.9 | +4.8 |
| | BNP | Kevin Scott | 1,787 | 4.7 | +1.6 |
| | UKIP | John Tennant | 1,103 | 2.9 | −0.4 |
| | Green | Andy Redfern | 379 | 1.0 | New |
| | TUSC | Elaine Brunskill | 266 | 0.7 | New |
| | Christian | David Walton | 131 | 0.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,549 | 32.8 | −7.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,257 | 57.5 | +3.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 2015: Gateshead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ian Mearns | 21,549 | 56.8 | +2.7 |
| | UKIP | John Tennant | 6,765 | 17.8 | +14.9 |
| | Conservative | Thomas Smith | 5,502 | 14.5 | −0.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Frank Hindle | 2,585 | 6.8 | −14.5 |
| | Green | Andy Redfern | 1,548 | 4.1 | +3.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14,784 | 39.0 | +6.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,949 | 59.4 | +1.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 2017: Gateshead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ian Mearns | 27,426 | 65.1 | +8.3 |
| | Conservative | Lauren Hankinson | 10,076 | 23.9 | +9.4 |
| | UKIP | Mark Bell | 2,281 | 5.4 | −12.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Frank Hindle | 1,709 | 4.1 | −2.7 |
| | Green | Andy Redfern | 611 | 1.5 | −2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,350 | 41.2 | +2.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,103 | 64.6 | +5.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −0.5 | |
General election 2019: Gateshead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ian Mearns | 20,450 | 53.6 | −11.5 |
| | Conservative | Jane MacBean | 13,250 | 34.7 | +10.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Maughan | 2,792 | 7.3 | +3.2 |
| | Green | Rachael Cabral | 1,653 | 4.3 | +2.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,200 | 18.9 | −22.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,145 | 59.2 | −5.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −11.2 | |

## Election results 1832–1950
### Elections in the 1830s

General election 1832: Gateshead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Radical | Cuthbert Rippon | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 454 | |
| | Radical win (new seat) | Radical win (new seat) | Radical win (new seat) | Radical win (new seat) |
General election 1835: Gateshead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Radical | Cuthbert Rippon | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 506 | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold |
General election 1837: Gateshead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Radical | Cuthbert Rippon | 236 | 61.0 |
| | Radical | John William Williamson | 151 | 39.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 85 | 22.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 387 | 72.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 534 | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Gateshead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | William Hutt | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 554 | | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold |
General election 1847: Gateshead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | William Hutt | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 656 | | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold |

### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Gateshead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | William Hutt | 270 | 45.3 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Adolphus Frederick Octavius Liddell | 190 | 31.9 | New |
| | Independent Liberal | Ralph Walters | 136 | 22.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 80 | 13.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 596 | 83.8 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 711 | | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold |
General election 1857: Gateshead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | William Hutt | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 895 | | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold |
General election 1859: Gateshead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Hutt | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 913 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1860s

By-election, 13 February 1860: Gateshead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Hutt | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
* Caused by Hutt's appointment as Vice-President of the Board of Trade.
General election 1865: Gateshead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Hutt | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,165 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1868: Gateshead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Hutt | 2,442 | 63.5 | N/A |
| | Independent Liberal | William Arbuthnot | 1,406 | 36.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,036 | 27.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,848 | 69.0 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,578 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Gateshead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Walter James | 4,250 | 75.1 | +11.6 |
| | Conservative | Richard Forster | 1,396 | 24.7 | New |
| | Independent Liberal | William Arbuthnot | 12 | 0.2 | −36.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,854 | 50.4 | +23.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,658 | 57.8 | −11.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,782 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +24.0 | |
* Arbuthnot retired from the race the day before polling.

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Gateshead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Walter James | 5,749 | 78.5 | +3.4 |
| | Conservative | Gainsford Bruce | 1,570 | 21.5 | −3.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,179 | 57.0 | +6.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,319 | 63.4 | +5.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,551 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +3.2 | |
General election 1885: Gateshead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Walter James | 5,756 | 65.6 | −12.9 |
| | Conservative | James Henry Bottomley | 3,024 | 34.4 | +12.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,732 | 31.2 | −25.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,780 | 66.5 | +3.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,206 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −12.9 | |
General election 1886: Gateshead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Walter James | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Gateshead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Walter James | 5,336 | 51.4 | N/A |
| | Liberal Unionist | Pandeli Ralli | 5,043 | 48.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 293 | 2.9 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,379 | 76.4 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,581 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
By-election, 1893: Gateshead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Allan | 6,434 | 53.6 | +2.2 |
| | Liberal Unionist | Pandeli Ralli | 5,566 | 46.4 | −2.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 868 | 7.2 | +4.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,000 | 85.2 | +8.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,090 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +2.2 | |
* Caused by James' succession to the peerage as Lord Northbourne.
General election 1895: Gateshead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Allan | 6,137 | 52.0 | +0.6 |
| | Liberal Unionist | J. Lucas | 5,654 | 48.0 | −0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 483 | 4.0 | +1.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,791 | 82.0 | +5.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,383 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +0.6 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Gateshead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Allan | 6,657 | 53.8 | +1.8 |
| | Liberal Unionist | John Sherburn | 5,711 | 46.2 | −1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 946 | 7.6 | +3.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,368 | 74.3 | −7.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 16,635 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +1.8 | |
1904 Gateshead by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Lib-Lab | John Johnson | 8,220 | 54.0 | +0.2 |
| | Liberal Unionist | Charles Howard | 7,015 | 46.0 | −0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,205 | 8.0 | +0.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,235 | 84.9 | +10.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 17,951 | | |
| | Lib-Lab hold | Lib-Lab hold | Swing | +0.2 | |
General election 1906: Gateshead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Lib-Lab | John Johnson | 9,651 | 65.3 | +11.5 |
| | Liberal Unionist | Theodore Angier | 5,126 | 34.7 | −11.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,525 | 30.6 | +23.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,777 | 79.4 | +5.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 18,614 | | |
| | Lib-Lab hold | Lib-Lab hold | Swing | +11.5 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Gateshead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Harold Elverston | 6,800 | 40.7 | +40.7 |
| | Liberal Unionist | Nicholas Grattan-Doyle | 6,323 | 37.9 | +3.2 |
| | Labour | John Johnson | 3,572 | 21.4 | −43.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 477 | 2.8 | −27.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,695 | 87.2 | +7.8 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +42.3 | |
General election December 1910: Gateshead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Harold Elverston | 8,763 | 61.0 | +20.3 |
| | Conservative | Herbert Surtees | 5,608 | 39.0 | +1.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,155 | 22.0 | +19.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,371 | 75.1 | −12.1 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | | |
General election 1918: Gateshead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Unionist | Herbert Surtees | 17,215 | 56.9 | +17.9 |
| | Labour | John Brotherton | 7,212 | 23.8 | New |
| | Liberal | Harold Elverston | 5,833 | 19.3 | −41.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,003 | 33.1 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 30,260 | 54.6 | −20.5 |
| | Unionist gain from Liberal | Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | | |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Gateshead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Brotherton | 18,795 | 43.8 | +20.0 |
| | Unionist | Herbert Surtees | 13,424 | 31.3 | −25.6 |
| | Liberal | John Dickie | 10,679 | 24.9 | +5.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,371 | 12.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,898 | 78.4 | +23.8 |
| | Labour gain from Unionist | Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +22.8 | |
General election 1923: Gateshead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Dickie | 17,344 | 42.7 | +17.8 |
| | Labour | John Brotherton | 16,689 | 41.1 | −2.7 |
| | Unionist | George Francis Stephen Christie | 6,592 | 16.2 | −15.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 355 | 1.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,625 | 73.2 | −5.2 |
| | Liberal gain from Labour | Liberal gain from Labour | Swing | +10.3 | |
General election 1924: Gateshead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Beckett | 23,514 | 50.2 | +9.1 |
| | Unionist | Hilton Philipson | 14,178 | 30.2 | +14.0 |
| | Liberal | John Dickie | 9,185 | 19.6 | −23.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,336 | 20.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,877 | 82.7 | +9.5 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal | Labour gain from Liberal | Swing | −2.5 | |
General election 1929: Gateshead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | James Melville | 28,393 | 52.6 | +2.4 |
| | Unionist | Ian Orr-Ewing | 11,644 | 21.5 | −8.7 |
| | Liberal | John Fennell | 10,314 | 19.1 | −0.5 |
| | Independent Liberal | John Leonard Watson | 3,688 | 6.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,749 | 31.1 | +11.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,039 | 73.9 | −8.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +5.5 | |

### Elections in the 1930s

Conservative candidate Charles White withdrew on 15 October 1931. Barr and Fennell also withdrew, but their names remained on the ballot paper.
1931 Gateshead by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Herbert Evans | 22,893 | 51.6 | −1.0 |
| | Conservative | Cuthbert Headlam | 21,501 | 48.4 | +26.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,392 | 3.2 | −27.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,394 | 60.8 | −13.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Sir James Melville died on 1 May 1931, leading to a by-election on 8 June. The winner of the by-election, Herbert Evans, himself died on 7 October, the day parliament was dissolved for the 1931 general election.
General election 1931: Gateshead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National Liberal | Thomas Magnay | 34,764 | 60.09 | |
| | Labour | Ernest Bevin | 21,826 | 37.73 | |
| | New Party | John Stuart Barr | 1,077 | 1.86 | New |
| | National Labour | John Fennell | 187 | 0.32 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,938 | 22.36 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 57,314 | 78.32 | |
| | National Liberal gain from Labour | National Liberal gain from Labour | Swing | | |
General election 1935: Gateshead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | National Liberal | Thomas Magnay | 28,772 | 52.72 |
| | Labour | James Wilson | 25,804 | 47.28 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,968 | 5.44 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,576 | 74.68 |
| | National Liberal hold | National Liberal hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Gateshead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Konni Zilliacus | 36,736 | 67.5 | +20.2 |
| | National Liberal | Thomas Magnay | 17,719 | 32.5 | −20.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19,017 | 35.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,455 | 76.0 | +1.3 |
| | Labour gain from National Liberal | Labour gain from National Liberal | Swing | | |