STV for Teeside
and South County Durham
In this post we’ll look at the Southern end of the North East Region. After a number of 3 MP constituencies in recent posts, here are two larger ones.
Teeside (to elect 5 MPs, covering the current constituencies of Middlesbrough and Thornaby East; Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland; Redcar; Stockton North; Stockton West)
Darlington, Hartlepool and Durham East (to elect 4 MPs, covering the current constituencies of Darlington; Easington; Hartlepool; Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor)
The Geography
The five constituencies on the south side of the Tees estuary fit well together, though Stockton West includes territory from the Darlington Authority.
The rest of the Darlington Authority, including the entire town, is placed in a constituency that stretches up to the coast, incorporating Hartlepool, the other Unitary Authority in the area. Much of the area in between was part of Tony Blair’s former constituency of Sedgefield, though that has been broken up now.
The Politics
Teeside is often viewed as an industrial heartland, but this constituency also includes rural areas from the northern edge of the Yorkshire Moors. Notably, in the 2024 elections, Conservative Ben Houchen retained the mayoralty here.
Two of the five constituent seats were Labour gains, though by slim margins, while Stockton West, based on the previous South, remained Conservative. Although 5 MP STV constituencies provide opportunities for smaller parties, this is likely to remain a battleground between the two larger parties. Labour would likely secure one seat and have a strong chance at a second, while the Conservatives would likely also secure one. The other two seats would be up for grabs, with Reform having a good chance at one. However, the Lib Dem and Green votes are currently squeezed, and it’s unclear whether they might gain traction under a different voting system.
My somewhat clumsily named 4 MP seat to the north of the Tees also saw Labour gains in 2024, as they took three of the constituencies, adding to the one already held. The Conservative vote held up well in Darlington but collapsed in the other two losses. Under STV, the 2024 result suggests 2 seats for Labour and one each for the two right-wing options. However, as with Teeside, current patterns might be suppressing other parties’ chances due to tactical voting.
Both of these constituencies have seen Independents elected as Mayors, so its suggests a well place independent could get the attention of the electorate.
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This song is about a Middlesbrough Girl’s school (that the singer’s wife went to)
Sometimes I get an urge to add a D to this singer’s posters