1918–1950: The County Borough of Tynemouth. 1950–1983: The County Borough of Tynemouth, and the Urban District of Whitley Bay. 1983–1997: The Borough of North Tyneside wards of Chirton, Collingwood, Cullercoats, Monkseaton, North Shields, Riverside, St Mary's, Seatonville, Tynemouth, and Whitley Bay. 1997–2010: The Borough of North Tyneside wards of Chirton, Collingwood, Cullercoats, Monkseaton, North Shields, St Mary's, Seatonville, Tynemouth, and Whitley Bay. 2010–present: The Borough of North Tyneside wards of Chirton, Collingwood, Cullercoats, Monkseaton North, Monkseaton South, Preston, St Mary's, Tynemouth, Valley, and Whitley Bay. The seat covers Tynemouth, North Shields, Whitley Bay, Cullercoats, Monkseaton, and since 2010 Shiremoor and Backworth.
History
The constituency was created under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885. ;Political history The seat has historically shown the highest level of support for the Conservative Party in the Tyne and Wear area, with the Conservatives holding the seat for 47 years from 1950-1997; though sometimes with only narrow majorities. However, since the 1997 general election, it has been represented by Alan Campbell of the Labour Party ;Prominent frontbenchers The present member, Alan Campbell reached the level of government below a Minister of State in 2008, as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Office.
Constituency profile
A coastal seat on the northern bank of the River Tyne. North Shields and the communities along the Tyne itself tend to be more industrial and working-class, once dominated by coal mining and shipbuilding. The coastal towns to the north, such as Whitley Bay, tend to be more middle-class dormitory towns for Newcastle commuters. This has tended to be one of the more Conservative-leaning seats in the North East of England, where the party has traditionally struggled against the Labour Party. As a relatively middle-class area, it returned Conservative MPs from 1950-1997; albeit often on narrow majorities. It has been represented by Labour since 1997, though the Conservatives remain strong at a local level. Similar to Sefton Central on Merseyside, despite being a traditionally strong Conservative area in a Labour-dominated county, the area has swung significantly to Labour during the twenty-first century, and has been won by semi-marginal to safe margins by Labour candidates at every general election since 1997, with significant swings to Labour seen in both 2015 and 2017. Workless claimants, registered jobseekers, were in November 2012 close to the national average of 3.8%, at 3.9% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian, lower than the regional average by 0.5%.
Members of Parliament
Constituency created
Elections
Elections in the 2010s
For the 2010 election, this was the primary target seat for the Conservatives in North East England following impressive local council victories since 2006 and the recent marginality of Alan Campbell's 2005 re-election. However, they failed to take the seat and any of its surrounding seats, which remained Labour.
Elections in the 2000s
Michael McIntyre was councillor for the Whitley Bay Ward at the time of polling. The Conservatives hoped to snatch the seat, but could only diminish Alan Campbell's majority. In the Mayoral election held on the same day, Mayor Linda Arkley narrowly lost re-election. Labour MP Alan Campbell was returned in 2001 with smaller majority on the back of Tony Blair's second landslide.
In 1997 Labour won their largest Tynemouth majority ever. The Conservatives chose Gateshead Councillor Martin Callanan as their candidate to replace the retiring Neville Trotter. He would subsequently become a North East MEP and later a peer. In 1992 Neville Trotter narrowly won his final term as the Labour candidate's fourth attempt failed. Many council seats were also unexpectedly won on the back of John Major's victory such as Whitley Bay and Monkseaton.
Elections in the 1980s
1983: Neville Trotter's biggest majority on the back of Mrs. Thatcher's landslide.
Elections in the 1970s
1979: Patrick 'Paddy' Cosgrove's first of four attempts to win the seat. Cosgrove was the Labour councillor for Whitley Bay Ward. February 1974: Neville Trotter, a Newcastle City Councillor and Chartered Accountant, becomes MP. 1970: Jeremy Beecham would later become leader of Newcastle City Council and a Peer.
Elections in the 1960s
1966: Gordon Adam would latterly become a North East MEP and make a failed bid to become Elected Mayor of North Tyneside in 2001.
Elections in the 1950s
Elections in the 1940s
Elections in the 1930s
Elections in the 1920s
Elections in the 1910s
1918: Dixon Scott was the founder of Newcastle's 'News Cinema', the modern 'Tyneside Cinema'.
