# Langbaurgh (UK Parliament constituency)

Langbaurgh was a parliamentary constituency in south Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland boroughs, the latter previously named Langbaurgh from 1974 to 1996. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system, and existed from 1983 to 1997.

## History

The constituency was a mixture of heavy manufacturing areas (41.7% of the workforce), with seaside resort and rural agricultural parts. The political effect was to make the constituency marginal between the Labour and Conservative candidates. However, it was held by the Conservative party at each of the general elections which it existed. A 1991 by-election was the only time at which Labour won this seat.

## Boundaries

1983–1997: The Borough of Langbaurgh wards of Belmont, Brotton, Guisborough, Hutton, Lockwood, Loftus, Longbeck, St. Germain's, Saltburn, Skelton, and Skinningrove, and the Borough of Middlesbrough wards of Easterside, Hemlington, Marton, Newham, Nunthorpe, Park End, and Stainton and Thornton.
At the time of its creation the constituency was part of the then non-metropolitan county of Cleveland and the Borough of Langbaurgh, for local government purposes. Before the reforms of local government in the 1960s and 1970s the area that became Cleveland had been partly located in the north of the North Riding of Yorkshire and partially in the south of the historic county of Durham. The constituency itself was located in the North Riding part of Cleveland.
The redistribution of constituencies, which took effect in 1983, was the first which used the reformed local authorities as the building blocks for Parliamentary constituencies. Langbaurgh was a new constituency; 65.1% of it had formerly been part of Cleveland and Whitby constituency, 34.6% came from Middlesbrough and 0.3% from Richmond (Yorks).
In 1996 the county of Cleveland and its associated districts like the borough of Langbaurgh were abolished. The area was divided into unitary council areas, one of which was Middlesbrough and another was Redcar and Cleveland (the former borough of Langbaurgh). In the circumstances it was inevitable that the majority successor constituency to Langbaurgh from 1997 (Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland) was renamed.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party | Notes |
| 1983 | Richard Holt | Conservative | Died September 1991 |
| 1991 by-election | Ashok Kumar | Labour | Later MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland 1997–2010 |
| 1992 | Michael Bates | Conservative | Paymaster General 1996–97 |
| 1997 | constituency abolished: see Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland & Redcar | constituency abolished: see Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland & Redcar |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1990s

The 1992 result is compared to the 1987 general election vote, which was a Conservative win.
General election 1992: Langbaurgh :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Michael Bates | 30,018 | 45.4 | +3.7 |
| | Labour | Ashok Kumar | 28,454 | 43.1 | +4.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Allen | 7,615 | 11.5 | −8.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,564 | 2.4 | −1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 66,087 | 83.1 | +4.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −0.5 | |
By-election 1991: Langbaurgh :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ashok Kumar | 22,442 | 42.9 | +4.5 |
| | Conservative | Michael Bates | 20,467 | 39.1 | −2.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Allen | 8,421 | 16.1 | −3.8 |
| | Green | Gerald Parr | 456 | 0.9 | New |
| | Yorkshire Party | Colin Holt | 216 | 0.4 | New |
| | Corrective Party | Lindi St Clair | 198 | 0.4 | New |
| | Football Supporters | Nigel Downing | 163 | 0.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,975 | 3.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 52,363 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +3.55 | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Langbaurgh :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Richard Holt | 26,047 | 41.7 | 0.0 |
| | Labour | Paul Harford | 23,959 | 38.4 | +7.0 |
| | Liberal | Robin Ashby | 12,405 | 19.9 | −7.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,088 | 3.4 | −7.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 62,411 | 78.8 | +3.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −3.5 | |
General election 1983: Langbaurgh :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Richard Holt | 24,239 | 41.7 | |
| | Labour | Gaye Johnson | 18,215 | 31.4 | |
| | Liberal | Robin Ashby | 15,615 | 26.9 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,024 | 10.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 58,069 | 75.0 | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |