The North East is set to lose two MPs under plans that could redraw England’s political map before the next general election. Under latest proposals by the Boundary Commission for England (BCE) Newcastle International Airport could become part of the Hexham constituency and Tony Blair's former patch of Sedgefield could soon be abolished.
The plans, published on Tuesday could see Parliamentary constituencies in the region cut from 29 to 27. The new proposals, revised from a previous version unveiled in summer 2021, include a number of key changes that could see residents move into a new constituency – and leave some existing MPs struggling to keep their job.
It could mean a number of existing seats could be wiped, including North Tyneside, Wansbeck, North West Durham, and Sedgefield. The BCE has backtracked on some of the most controversial aspects of its previous designs, including major changes in Sunderland and a possible Whitley Bay and Cramlington constituency, but others have remained – including shifting Newcastle International Airport and other outlying parts of the city into the Hexham seat.
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A new, month-long consultation has been launched to give the public a final say on the proposals, before they are submitted to Parliament by July 2023. The changes could be enacted by the time of the next general election, which must be held before January 2025.
Here is a summary of the major changes proposed in the North East:
Newcastle, Northumberland, and North Tyneside
The number of constituencies covering the three ‘North of Tyne’ areas will drop from nine to eight, as was the case under the Boundary Commission’s initial proposals, but there have been some major changes since last year. Most notable is that the creation of a new Whitley Bay and Cramlington constituency, described by the BCE as “by far the most contentious issue in the North East region”, has been scrapped.
Instead, the Tynemouth constituency would be made more similar to its existing form – no longer severing Whitley Bay from neighbouring Cullercoats. Mary Glindon’s existing North Tyneside seat would be abolished, with its wards split up between Tynemouth, a significantly altered Newcastle North, a Newcastle East and Wallsend constituency, and a new Cramlington and Killingworth seat.
The Blyth Valley seat held by Conservative Ian Levy would be divided up between that Cramlington and Killingworth constituency and a Blyth and Ashington seat, which also includes a good chunk of Labour MP Ian Lavery’s Wansbeck. The town of Morpeth moves into the Berwick-upon-Tweed constituency, which would be renamed Berwick and Morpeth.
In Newcastle, the villages of Callerton and Throckley – as well as Newcastle International Airport – would still be moved into the Hexham constituency. However, a new Newcastle Central and West seat would retain the West End ward of Arthur’s Hill, which had been shifted into Newcastle East under the original plans – much to the confusion of some locals.
While the revised Newcastle North seat does take in the Benton and Longbenton wards from neighbouring North Tyneside, it is much changed from the original proposed – no longer including Camperdown, Killingworth, or Weetslade, and gaining the areas of Jesmond and South Gosforth.
Sunderland, Gateshead, South Tyneside, and County Durham
The number of constituencies in this part of the region is cut from 13 to 12 – and some of these have been subject to a major redraw since last summer. Under the BCE’s latest plans, Gateshead is no longer treated as its own distinct area containing two whole constituencies. Instead, it will be split between four – Gateshead and Whickham, Blaydon and Consett, Washington, and Jarrow.
The BCE now recommends: a revised South Shields constituency as initially proposed, gaining Cleadon and East Boldon; a Jarrow constituency to include the four Gateshead wards of Felling, Pelaw and Heworth, Wardley and Leam Lane, and Windy Nook and Whitehills; a Gateshead and Whickham constituency, to include three wards around the Whickham area (Dunston Hill and Whickham East, Whickham North and Whickham South and Sunniside); a Blaydon and Consett constituency, which would pair the two towns across the Gateshead boundary with County Durham; and a Washington constituency to include the two Gateshead wards of Birtley and Lamesley.
There have also been big alterations to what was planned in Sunderland, which the BCE had controversially proposed splitting between five “disruptive” constituencies. It has now decided to keep Bridget Phillipson’s Houghton and Sunderland South as it currently is, instead of carving it up between a number of new seats, while Sunderland Central also still remains in its existing state.
The City of Durham constituency would no longer include the Sunderland wards of Copt Hill, Hetton and Houghton – and instead has the Brandon, Deerness, Esh and Witton Gilbert, and Willington and Hunwick wards to the west of the city. Crook, Tow Law and Weardale from the existing constituency of North West Durham would instead be included in a revised Bishop Auckland constituency, with the Tory-held North West Durham disbanded.
North West Durham MP Richard Holden said he was "immensely saddened" by the latest redrawing of the region's political map and vowed to appeal against them. The Lanchester ward would be included in an enlarged North Durham seat, and the Burnopfield and Dipton ward would be in the newly-proposed Blaydon and Consett constituency.
The Easington seat would become slightly larger and the BCE no longer proposes renaming it as Seaham and Peterlee. Tony Blair’s old Sedgefield seat, meanwhile, would be abolished – with the town instead part of a Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor constituency and some of its current wards being transferred to enlarged constituencies to the south.
Tees Valley
This part of the region would continue to have seven constituencies – they will be Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough and Thornaby East, Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, Redcar, Stockton North and Stockton West.
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