Gateshead West (UK Parliament constituency)

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox UK constituency main Gateshead West was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1950 to 1983. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

History

Gateshead West, as could be inferred from the name, formed the western part of the Borough of Gateshead, now in Tyne and Wear. The constituency was created by the Representation of the People Act 1948 for the 1950 general election when the existing Gateshead seat was split in two. It was abolished for the 1983 general election, when the majority of the electorate was included in the new constituency of Tyne Bridge, which also included central areas of Newcastle upon Tyne. Remaining areas were transferred to Gateshead East.

It returned Labour MPs for the entire period of its existence.

Boundaries

1950–1955

• The County Borough of Gateshead wards of Central, North, North West, West, and West Central.

1955–1964

• The County Borough of Gateshead wards of Central, East Central, North, North East, North West, West, and West Central.

The East Central and North East wards were transferred from Gateshead East.

1964–1983

• The County Borough of Gateshead wards of Askew, Bensham, Chandless, Claremont, Riverside, Saltwell, Shipcote, and Teams.

Minor changes to reflect redistribution of local authority wards.

Members of Parliament

Election		Member	Party
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1950	John Hall	Labour
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1955 by-election	Harry Randall	Labour
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1970	John Horam	Labour
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1981		SDP
1983		constituency abolished

Election results

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: Gateshead West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Horam	Template:Replace	67.24
		DR Kelly	5,221	25.94
		Frank Patterson	1,185	5.89
		H Beadle	186	0.92
Majority			8,312	41.30
Turnout			20,125	69.31
	hold		Swing

General election October 1974: Gateshead West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Horam	Template:Replace	68.61
		P Brown	4,432	21.94
		K Stoddart	1,909	9.45
Majority			9,427	46.67
Turnout			20,200	65.65
	hold		Swing

General election February 1974: Gateshead West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Horam	Template:Replace	61.01
		John Heddle	5,372	23.68
		J Bennison	3,474	15.31
Majority			8,467	37.33
Turnout			22,685	74.20
	hold		Swing

General election 1970: Gateshead West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Horam	Template:Replace	68.07
		John O'Sullivan	7,328	31.93
Majority			8,294	36.14
Turnout			22,950	66.59
	hold		Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1966: Gateshead West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Harry Randall	Template:Replace	74.77
		Ernest Greenwood	6,878	25.23
Majority			13,503	49.54
Turnout			27,259	70.11
	hold		Swing

General election 1964: Gateshead West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Harry Randall	Template:Replace	68.97
		Derek R Chapman	9,623	31.03
Majority			11,767	37.94
Turnout			31,013	74.93
	hold		Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1959: Gateshead West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Harry Randall	Template:Replace	64.90
		David A Wright	11,509	35.10
Majority			9,768	29.80
Turnout			32,786	76.88
	hold		Swing

1955 Gateshead West by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Harry Randall	Template:Replace	66.46
		David A Wright	6,661	33.54
Majority			6,535	32.92
Turnout			19,857
	hold		Swing

General election 1955: Gateshead West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Hall	Template:Replace	65.32
		James Quigley	11,071	34.68
Majority			10,339	30.64
Turnout			33,111
	hold		Swing

General election 1951: Gateshead West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Hall	Template:Replace	63.77
		John S Magnay	11,811	36.23
Majority			8,979	27.54
Turnout			32,601	83.81
	hold		Swing

General election 1950: Gateshead West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Hall	Template:Replace	64.16
		John S Magnay	11,660	35.84
Majority			9,212	28.32
Turnout			32,532	83.90
	win (new seat)

See also

• History of parliamentary constituencies and boundaries in Durham