Blaydon (UK Parliament constituency) explained

Blaydon
Parliament:	uk
Map2:	EnglandTyneWear
Year:	1918
Abolished:	2024
Type:	Borough
Elects Howmany:	One
Population:	88,281 (2011 census)^[1]
Electorate:	68,156 (December 2010)^[2]
Towns:	Birtley, Blaydon, Rowlands Gill, Ryton and Whickham
Region:	England
European:	North East England

Blaydon was a constituency represented in the House of Commons from 2017 until its abolition for the 2024 general election by Liz Twist of the Labour Party.

Constituency profile

The seat was a safe seat for the Labour Party from 1935 until its abolition.

Historically, the area's economy relied on coal mining from the Victorian period until the decline of mining in the latter half of the 20th century.

By 2024, the economy was supported by engineering and service industries on Tyneside, and agriculture. It also included the Metrocentre, the second-largest shopping centre in the UK.

The constituency was on the western upland outskirts of Gateshead and with communities separated by green buffers. It comprised the towns of Blaydon, Whickham, Ryton, Birtley and surrounding villages in the south and west of the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead.

Boundaries

1918–1950

• The Urban Districts of Blaydon, Ryton, Tanfield, and Whickham.^[3]

Blaydon was created under the Representation of the People Act 1918 for the 1918 general election when Blaydon, Ryton and Whickham were split off from the existing Chester-le-Street seat. Tanfield was added from the abolished constituency of North West Durham.

1950–1983

• The Urban Districts of Blaydon, Ryton, and Whickham.^[4]

Tanfield transferred to Consett.

1983–2010

• The Borough of Gateshead wards of Birtley, Blaydon, Chopwell and Rowlands Gill, Crawcrook and Greenside, Lamesley, Ryton, Whickham North, Whickham South, and Winlaton.^{[5] [6]}

The communities of Birtley and Lamesley were transferred in from the abolished constituency of Chester-le-Street. Lost small area in the east of the seat to the new constituency of Tyne Bridge.

2010–2024

• The Borough of Gateshead wards of Birtley, Blaydon, Chopwell and Rowlands Gill, Crawcrook and Greenside, Dunston Hill and Whickham East, Lamesley, Ryton, Crookhill and Stella, Whickham North, Whickham South and Sunniside, and Winlaton and High Spen.^[7]

Minor changes resulting from the redrawing of ward boundaries in Gateshead Borough and abolition of Tyne Bridge.

Abolition

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished for the 2024 general election, with its contents distributed to three new constituencies:^[8]

• The three wards incorporating the town of Whickham included in an expanded Gateshead constituency named Gateshead Central and Whickham
• Birtley and Lamesley combined with Washington to form Washington and Gateshead South
• Remaining wards (comprising about half the electorate), including the communities of Blaydon, Rowlands Gill and Ryton, to form a cross-county constituency with Consett in County Durham - named Blaydon and Consett

Members of Parliament

Election		Member	Whip
			Coalition Liberal
			Labour
			Conservative
			Labour
			Labour
			Labour
			Labour
			Labour
	2024	Constituency abolished

Election results 1918-2024

Elections in the 2010s

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in Tyne and Wear
• History of parliamentary constituencies and boundaries in Tyne and Wear
• History of parliamentary constituencies and boundaries in Durham

External links

• nomis Constituency Profile for Blaydon, presenting data from the ONS annual population survey and other official statistics
• Blaydon UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK
• Blaydon UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK

Notes and References

1. Web site: Blaydon: Usual Resident Population, 2011 . Neighbourhood Statistics . Office for National Statistics . 31 January 2015 . 3 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303221908/http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=6507748&c=&d=27&e=62&g=6430187&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&o=362&m=0&r=1&s=1422104706393&enc=1&dsFamilyId=2473 . dead .
2. Web site: Electorate Figures – Boundary Commission for England . 4 March 2011 . 2011 Electorate Figures . Boundary Commission for England . 13 March 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101106204053/http://www.boundarycommissionforengland.org.uk/electoral-figures/electoral-figures.htm . 6 November 2010 .
3. Book: Craig, Fred W. S. . Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1885-1972; . 1972 . Political Reference Publications . 0-900178-09-4 . Chichester . 10 . 539011.
4. Book: Craig, Fred W. S. . Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1885-1972; . 1972 . Political Reference Publications . 0-900178-09-4 . Chichester . 58, 129 . 539011.
5. Web site: The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983 . 74.
6. Web site: The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995 . In the County of Tyne and Wear.
7. Web site: The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007 . In Tyne and Wear.
8. Web site: The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report – North East Boundary Commission for England . 2023-07-18 . boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk.