54°53′24″N 1°22′41″W / 54.890°N 1.378°W / 54.890; -1.378

Sunderland South
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Sunderland South in Tyne and Wear for the 2005 general election
Outline map
Location of Tyne and Wear within England
CountyTyne and Wear
1950–2010
SeatsOne
Created fromSunderland
Replaced byHoughton and Sunderland South, Sunderland Central and Washington and Sunderland West

Sunderland South was, from 1950 until 2010, a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

History

Sunderland South, as can be inferred from the name, formed the southern part of the County Borough (now City) of Sunderland. The constituency was created by the Representation of the People Act 1948 for the 1950 general election when the existing two-member Sunderland seat was split in two. Parts also transferred from Houghton-le-Spring.

It was abolished for the 2010 general election when most of its contents were divided between the two new constituencies of Sunderland Central (eastern areas) and Houghton and Sunderland South (western areas). St Anne's ward was transferred to the new constituency of Washington and Sunderland West.[1]

Boundaries

1950–1955

  • The County Borough of Sunderland wards of Bishopwearmouth, Hendon, Humbledon, Pallion, Park, St Michael's, Sunderland East, Thornhill, and West.[2]

1955–1974

  • The County Borough of Sunderland wards of Bishopwearmouth, Hendon, Humbledon, Pallion, Park, Pennywell, St Michael's, Thorney Close, and Thornhill.[2]

Minor changes.

1974–1983

  • The County Borough of Sunderland wards of Bishopwearmouth, Hendon, Humbledon, Pennywell, Ryhope, St Chad's, St Michael's, Silksworth, Thorney Close, and Thornhill.[3]

Boundaries expanded southwards in line with those of the County Borough, including the gain of Ryhope and Silksworth from Houghton-le-Spring.  Existing boundary with Sunderland North realigned, including the loss of Pallion ward.

1983–1997

  • The Metropolitan Borough of Sunderland wards of Grindon, Hendon, Ryhope, St Chad's, St Michael's, Silksworth, Thorney Close, and Thornholme.[4] Minor changes to take account of new ward boundaries.

1997–2010

  • The City of Sunderland wards of Grindon, Hendon, St Chad's, St Michael's, Silksworth, South Hylton, Thorney Close, and Thornholme.[5] South Hylton ward transferred from Sunderland North. Ryhope ward transferred to the new constituency of Houghton and Washington East.

Political history

Having been a Labour–Conservative marginal in the 1950s and 1960s, Sunderland South was held by the Labour Party from 1964 until 2010. Its last MP was journalist-politician Chris Mullin, who served between the 1987 and 2010 general elections, inclusive. Sunderland South was abolished as a result of the Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which took effect at the 2010 election. Mullin did not seek re-election in 2010.

The constituency was well known for trying to be the first seat to declare its results, doing so in the general elections of 1992, 1997, 2001 and 2005.[6]

Members of Parliament

ElectionMember[7]Party
1950Richard Ewart Labour
1953Paul WilliamsConservative
1964Gordon Bagier Labour
1987Chris MullinLabour
2010 constituency abolished: see Houghton and Sunderland South
& Sunderland Central

Elections

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Sunderland South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Richard Ewart 27,192 49.6
Conservative H. Wilkinson 22,012 40.2
Liberal Charles Jonathan Kitchell 5,604 10.2
Majority 5,180 9.4
Turnout 54,808 83.3
Labour win (new seat)
General election 1951: Sunderland South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Richard Ewart 27,257 50.3 +0.7
Conservative Paul Williams 26,951 49.7 +9.5
Majority 306 0.6 -8.8
Turnout 54,208 94.1 +10.8
Labour hold Swing
1953 Sunderland South by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Paul Williams 23,114 48.6 −1.1
Labour Alexander G.S. Whipp 21,939 46.1 −4.2
Liberal Roy Francis Leslie 2,524 5.3 New
Majority 1,175 2.5 +1.9
Turnout 47,557
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
General election 1955: Sunderland South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Paul Williams 24,727 51.9 +2.2
Labour Ernest Armstrong 22,953 48.1 -2.2
Majority 1,774 3.8 N/A
Turnout 47,680 77.4 -16.7
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
General election 1959: Sunderland South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Paul Williams 27,825 50.9 -1.0
Labour Ernest Armstrong 26,835 49.1 +1.0
Majority 990 1.8 -2.0
Turnout 54,660 80.3 +2.9
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Sunderland South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gordon Bagier 25,900 51.6 +2.5
Conservative Paul Williams 24,334 48.4 ―2.5
Majority 1,566 3.2 N/A
Turnout 50,234 75.8 ―4.5
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
General election 1966: Sunderland South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gordon Bagier 27,567 57.5 +5.9
Conservative Philip Edwin Heselton 20,398 42.5 ―5.9
Majority 7,169 15.0 +11.8
Turnout 47,965 75.5 ―0.3
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Sunderland South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gordon Bagier 26,840 56.4 ―1.1
Conservative Denis Orde 20,722 43.6 +1.1
Majority 6,118 12.8 ―2.2
Turnout 47,562 70.1 ―5.4
Labour hold Swing ―1.1
General election February 1974: Sunderland South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gordon Bagier 28,296 49.6 ―6.8
Conservative Mark Thorpe Wright 19,700 34.5 ―9.1
Liberal Wilfred John Nicholson 9,098 15.9 New
Majority 8,596 15.1 +2.2
Turnout 57,094 75.2 +5.1
Labour hold Swing +8.0
General election October 1974: Sunderland South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gordon Bagier 28,623 55.0 +5.4
Conservative John Charles Buchanan Riddell 15,593 30.0 ―4.5
Liberal Wilfred John Nicholson 7,828 15.0 ―0.9
Majority 13,030 25.0 +9.9
Turnout 52,044 68.1 ―7.1
Labour hold Swing
General election 1979: Sunderland South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gordon Bagier 29,403 53.1 ―1.9
Conservative James Richard Harris 21,002 37.9 +7.9
Liberal Paul Macdonald Barker 4,984 9.0 ―6.0
Majority 8,401 15.2 ―9.8
Turnout 55,389 70.0 +1.9
Labour hold Swing ―4.9

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1983: Sunderland South[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gordon Bagier 22,869 45.7 ―7.4
Conservative Andrew Mitchell 17,321 34.6 ―3.3
SDP John Anderson 9,865 19.7 New
Majority 5,548 11.1 ―4.1
Turnout 50,055 66.6 ―3.4
Labour hold Swing
General election 1987: Sunderland South[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Chris Mullin 28,823 54.0 +8.3
Conservative George Howe 16,210 30.4 ―4.2
SDP Keith Hudson 7,768 14.6 ―5.1
Green Douglas Jacques 516 1.0 New
Majority 12,613 23.6 +12.5
Turnout 53,317 71.1 +4.5
Labour hold Swing +6.3

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1992: Sunderland South[10][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Chris Mullin 29,399 57.9 +3.9
Conservative George Howe 14,898 29.4 ―1.0
Liberal Democrats John Lennox 5,844 11.5 ―3.1
Green Terence Scouler 596 1.2 +0.2
Majority 14,501 28.5 +4.9
Turnout 50,737 69.9 ―1.2
Labour hold Swing +2.5
General election 1997: Sunderland South[12][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Chris Mullin 27,174 68.1 +10.2
Conservative Timothy Schofield 7,536 18.9 ―10.5
Liberal Democrats John Lennox 4,606 11.5 ±0.0
UKIP Margaret Wilkinson 609 1.5 New
Majority 19,638 49.2 +20.7
Turnout 39,925 58.8 ―11.1
Labour hold Swing +10.4

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2001: Sunderland South[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Chris Mullin 19,921 63.9 ―4.2
Conservative James Boyd 6,254 20.1 +1.2
Liberal Democrats Mark Greenfield 3,675 11.8 +0.3
BNP Joseph Dobbie 576 1.8 New
UKIP Joseph Moore 470 1.5 New
Monster Raving Loony Rosalyn Warner 291 0.9 New
Majority 13,667 43.8 ―5.4
Turnout 31,187 48.3 ―10.5
Labour hold Swing ―2.7
General election 2005: Sunderland South[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Chris Mullin 17,982 58.6 ―5.3
Conservative Robert Oliver 6,923 22.5 +2.4
Liberal Democrats Gareth Kane 4,492 14.6 +2.8
BNP David Guynan 1,166 3.8 +2.0
Monster Raving Loony Rosalyn Warner 149 0.5 ―0.4
Majority 11,059 36.0 ―7.8
Turnout 30,712 49.3 +1.0
Labour hold Swing ―3.9

See also

Notes and references

  1. ↑ "Boundary Commission for England Fifth Periodical Report Vol 3" (PDF). pp. 144–147.
  2. 1 2 Craig, Fred W. S. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1885-1972;. Chichester: Political Reference Publications. p. 60. ISBN 0-900178-09-4. OCLC 539011.
  3. ↑ Craig, Fred W. S. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1885-1972;. Chichester: Political Reference Publications. p. 130. ISBN 0-900178-09-4. OCLC 539011.
  4. ↑ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983" (PDF). p. 75.
  5. ↑ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". In the County of Tyne and Wear.
  6. ↑ Daily Record; May 6, 2005; Sunderland Leads the Way
  7. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 6)
  8. ↑ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  9. ↑ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  10. ↑ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  11. ↑ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  12. ↑ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  13. ↑ "Sunderland South". politicsresources.net.
  14. ↑ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  15. ↑ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
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