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Blyth Valley (UK Parliament constituency)

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This article is about the Parliamentary constituency. For the former local government district of the same name, see Blyth Valley.

Blyth Valley
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
2010–2024 boundary of Blyth Valley in Northumberland
Outline map
Location of Northumberland within England
CountyNorthumberland
Population82,174 (2011 UK Census)[1]
Electorate63,173 (December 2010)[2]
Major settlementsBlyth, Cramlington, Seaton Delaval
1950–2024
SeatsOne
Created fromMorpeth, Wansbeck
Replaced byCramlington and Killingworth (most), Blyth and Ashington (part)

Blyth Valley, formerly known as Blyth, was a constituency[n 1] most recently represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament from 2019 by Ian Levy, a Conservative [n 2] until its abolition in 2024.

Under the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished, with the majority of its contents - excluding the town of Blyth itself - being absorbed into the new constituency of Cramlington and Killingworth, to be first contested at the 2024 general election. Blyth was included in the new constituency of Blyth and Ashington.[3]

Constituency profile

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The constituency is in the former Northumberland Coalfield where mining and shipbuilding were once significant industries. Residents' incomes and wealth are slightly below average for the UK.[4]

History

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The constituency of Blyth was established under the Representation of the People Act 1948 for the 1950 general election. Following the reorganisation of local authorities resulting from the Local Government Act 1972, it was renamed Blyth Valley for the 1983 general election to correspond with the newly formed Borough of Blyth Valley.

In the 2019 general election, Blyth Valley was the third seat to declare and the first Conservative victory of the election,[5] pointing towards many similar Conservative victories in Labour's Red Wall[6] as the night went on.

Boundaries

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Map
Map of 1983-2024 boundaries

1950–1974 (Blyth): The Municipal Borough of Blyth, and the Urban Districts of Bedlingtonshire, and Seaton Valley.[7][8]

Blyth and Bedlington were transferred from Morpeth. Seaton Valley (incorporating Cramlington, Seghill, Earsdon and Seaton Delaval) was added from the abolished constituency of Wansbeck.

1974–1983 (Blyth): The borough of Blyth, and the urban districts of Bedlingtonshire, and Seaton Valley.[9]

The boundary with Hexham was slightly amended to take account of changes to local government boundaries.

1983–2024 (Blyth Valley): The Borough of Blyth Valley.[10][11][12]

Bedlington was transferred to the re-established constituency of Wansbeck. Small area in the south (Backworth and Earsdon), which was now part of the metropolitan borough of North Tyneside in Tyne and Wear, transferred to Wallsend.

In the fifth periodic boundary review of parliamentary representation in Northumberland, which came into effect for the 2010 general election, the Boundary Commission for England recommended that no changes be made to the Blyth Valley constituency.[13]

In 2009, a further government reorganisation resulted in the abolition of all local government boroughs and districts in Northumberland and the establishment of the county as a unitary authority. Accordingly, although this did not affect constituency boundaries in Northumberland, for 2009-2024 the constituency contained the Northumberland County Council wards of: Cowpen, Cramlington East, Cramlington Eastfield, Cramlington North, Cramlington South East, Cramlington Village, Cramlington West, Croft, Hartley, Holywell, Isabella, Kitty Brewster, Newsham, Plessey, Seghill with Seaton Delaval, South Blyth, and Wensleydale.

Members of Parliament

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Event Member[14] Party
1950 Alfred Robens Labour
1960 by-election Eddie Milne
Feb 1974 Independent Labour
Oct 1974 John Ryman Labour
1987 Ronnie Campbell
2019 Ian Levy Conservative
2024 Constituency abolished

Election results 1950-2024

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Elections in the 1950s

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General election 1950: Blyth
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Alfred Robens 40,245 74.7
Conservative L.J. Amos 13,665 25.4
Majority 26,580 49.3
Turnout 53,910 86.97
Labour win (new seat)
General election 1951: Blyth
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Alfred Robens 39,823 73.7 −1.0
Conservative George Peters 14,184 26.3 0.9
Majority 25,693 47.4 −1.9
Turnout 54,007 86.25 −0.72
Labour hold Swing +0.95
General election 1955: Blyth
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Alfred Robens 36,522 73.1 −0.6
Conservative Nicholas Ridley 13,429 26.9 +0.6
Majority 23,093 46.2 −1.2
Turnout 49,951 80.3 −5.95
Labour hold Swing +0.6
General election 1959: Blyth
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Alfred Robens 38,616 74.6 +1.5
Conservative Dennis Walters 13,122 25.4 −1.5
Majority 25,494 49.2 +3.0
Turnout 51,738 82.7 +2.4
Labour hold Swing +1.5

Elections in the 1960s

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1960 Blyth by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Eddie Milne 23,438 68.9 −5.7
Conservative Dennis Walters 7,366 21.6 −3.8
Independent C. Pym 3,223 9.5 New
Majority 16,072 47.3 −1.9
Turnout 34,027
Labour hold Swing N/A
General election 1964: Blyth
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Eddie Milne 37,336 75.9 +1.3
Conservative Geoffrey P Davidson 11,832 24.1 −1.3
Majority 25,504 51.8 +2.6
Turnout 49,168 78.3 −4.4
Labour hold Swing
General election 1966: Blyth
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Eddie Milne 36,493 78.2 +2.3
Conservative William J Prime 10,179 21.8 −2.3
Majority 26,314 56.4 +4.6
Turnout 46,672 74.4 −3.9
Labour hold Swing +2.3

Elections in the 1970s

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General election 1970: Blyth
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Eddie Milne 36,118 74.2 −4.0
Conservative Anthony J Blackburn 12,550 25.8 +4.0
Majority 23,568 48.4 −8.0
Turnout 48,668 71.6 −2.8
Labour hold Swing -4.0
General election February 1974: Blyth
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Labour Eddie Milne 22,918 38.9 +38.9
Labour Ivor Richard 16,778 28.5 −45.7
Liberal John Shipley 10,214 17.4 New
Conservative Brian Griffiths 8,888 15.1 −10.7
Majority 6,140 10.4 N/A
Turnout 58,798 79.5 +7.9
Independent Labour gain from Labour Swing +42.3
General election October 1974: Blyth
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Ryman 20,308 36.7 +8.2
Independent Labour Eddie Milne 20,230 36.6 −2.3
Liberal John Shipley 8,177 14.8 −2.6
Conservative Brian Griffiths 6,590 11.9 −3.2
Majority 78 0.1 N/A
Turnout 55,305 74.3 −5.2
Labour gain from Independent Labour Swing +5.25
General election 1979: Blyth
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Ryman 25,047 40.1 +3.4
Independent Labour Eddie Milne 17,987 28.8 −7.8
Conservative Emma Nicholson 14,194 22.8 +10.9
Liberal D. Parkin 5,176 8.3 −6.5
Majority 7,060 11.3 +11.2
Turnout 62,404 78.3 −4.0
Labour hold Swing +5.6

Elections in the 1980s

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General election 1983: Blyth Valley[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Ryman 16,583 39.5 −0.6
SDP Rosemary Brownlow 13,340 31.8 +23.5
Conservative Andrew Hargreaves 11,657 27.8 +5.0
Independent S. Robinson 406 0.9 +0.9
Majority 3,243 7.7 −3.6
Turnout 41,986 72.8 −5.5
Labour hold Swing
General election 1987: Blyth Valley[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ronnie Campbell 19,604 42.5 +3.0
SDP Rosemary Brownlow 18,751 40.6 +8.8
Conservative Robert Kinghorn 7,823 16.9 −10.9
Majority 853 1.9 −5.8
Turnout 46,178 78.1 +5.3
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s

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General election 1992: Blyth Valley[17][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ronnie Campbell 24,542 49.9 +7.4
Liberal Democrats Peter M. Tracey 16,498 33.5 −7.1
Conservative Michael J. Revell 7,691 15.6 −1.3
Green Stephen P. Tyley 470 1.0 New
Majority 8,044 16.4 +14.5
Turnout 49,201 80.7 +2.6
Labour hold Swing +7.3
General election 1997: Blyth Valley[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ronnie Campbell 27,276 64.2 +14.3
Liberal Democrats Andrew Lamb 9,540 22.5 −11.0
Conservative Barbara Musgrave 5,666 13.3 −2.3
Majority 17,736 41.7 +25.3
Turnout 42,482 68.8 −11.9
Labour hold Swing +12.7

Elections in the 2000s

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General election 2001: Blyth Valley[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ronnie Campbell 20,627 59.7 −4.5
Liberal Democrats Jeffrey Reid 8,439 24.4 +1.9
Conservative Wayne Daley 5,484 15.9 +2.6
Majority 12,188 35.3 −6.6
Turnout 34,550 54.7 −14.1
Labour hold Swing −3.2
General election 2005: Blyth Valley[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ronnie Campbell 19,659 55.0 −4.7
Liberal Democrats Jeffrey Reid 11,132 31.1 +6.7
Conservative Michael Windridge 4,982 13.9 −2.0
Majority 8,527 23.9 −11.4
Turnout 35,773 56.2 +1.5
Labour hold Swing –5.7

Elections in the 2010s

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General election 2010: Blyth Valley[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ronnie Campbell 17,156 44.5 −10.5
Liberal Democrats Jeff Reid 10,488 27.2 −3.9
Conservative Barry Flux 6,412 16.6 +2.7
BNP Steve Fairbairn 1,699 4.4 New
UKIP Jim Condon 1,665 4.3 New
Independent Barry Elliott 819 2.1 New
English Democrat Allan White 327 0.8 New
Majority 6,668 17.3 −6.6
Turnout 38,566 60.0 +3.8
Labour hold Swing –3.3
General election 2015: Blyth Valley[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ronnie Campbell 17,813 46.3 +1.8
UKIP Barry Elliott 8,584 22.3 +18.0
Conservative Greg Munro 8,346 21.7 +5.1
Liberal Democrats Philip Latham[24] 2,265 5.9 –21.3
Green Dawn Furness[25] 1,453 3.8 New
Majority 9,229 24.0 +6.7
Turnout 38,461 62.8 +2.8
Labour hold Swing –8.1
General election 2017: Blyth Valley[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ronnie Campbell 23,770 55.9 +9.6
Conservative Ian Levy 15,855 36.9 +15.2
Liberal Democrats Jeff Reid 1,947 4.6 –1.3
Green Dawn Furness 918 2.2 –1.6
Majority 7,915 19.0 –5.0
Turnout 42,490 67.0 +4.2
Labour hold Swing –2.8
General election 2019: Blyth Valley[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ian Levy 17,440 42.7 +5.8
Labour Co-op Susan Dungworth 16,728 40.9 –15.0
Brexit Party Mark Peart 3,394 8.3 New
Liberal Democrats Thom Chapman 2,151 5.3 +0.7
Green Dawn Furness 1,146 2.8 +0.6
Majority 712 1.8 N/A
Turnout 40,859 64.6 –2.4
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +10.4

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. ^ As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.

References

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  1. ^ "Blyth Valley: Usual Resident Population, 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  2. ^ "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  3. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report – North East | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  4. ^ Electoral Calculus https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/fcgi-bin/seatdetails.py?seat=Blyth+Valley
  5. ^ "Conservatives break Labour's 50-year hold in Blyth Valley". BBC News. Archived from the original on 13 December 2019. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  6. ^ Miscampbell, Guy (18 December 2019). "How the Tories won over Workington Man". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Archived from the original on 18 December 2019. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  7. ^ Craig, F.W.S., ed. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1985-1972. Chichester, Sussex: Political Reference Publications. pp. 82, 140. ISBN 0-900178-09-4.
  8. ^ "Representation of the People Act 1948: Schedule 1", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1948 c. 65 (sch. 1), retrieved 5 March 2023
  9. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (Blyth and Hexham) Order 1971. SI 1971/2107". Statutory Instruments 1971. Part III Section 2. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. 1972. pp. 6217–6218.
  10. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983" (PDF). p. 63.
  11. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". In the county of Northumberland.
  12. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". In Nortumberland.
  13. ^ Fifth Periodical Report. Cm 7032-iv (PDF). Vol. 4 (Mapping for the Non-Metropolitan Counties and the Unitary Authorities). London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. 2007. ISBN 978-0101-703222.
  14. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 2)
  15. ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  16. ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  17. ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  18. ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  19. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  20. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  21. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  22. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  23. ^ "Election Data 2015". Archived from the original on 1 February 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  24. ^ "Candidate is selected". News Post Leader. 6 January 2015. Archived from the original on 16 January 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
  25. ^ "General Election Candidates 2015 | Green Party Members' Website". Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  26. ^ "Election Data 2015". Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  27. ^ Angus, Kelly (14 November 2019). "PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION, THURSDAY, 12 DECEMBER 2019. BLYTH VALLEY CONSTITUENCY. STATEMENT AS TO PERSONS NOMINATED AND NOTICE OF POLL" (PDF). Northumberland County Council. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 November 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
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