Stockton North (UK Parliament constituency)

Stockton North is a constituency covering the town of Stockton-on-Tees in County Durham and other nearby settlements in the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees located north of the River Tees, represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Alex Cunningham, a member of the Labour Party.

Boundaries
1983–1997: The Borough of Stockton-on-Tees wards of Blue Hall, Charltons, Elm Tree, Glebe, Grange, Hardwick, Marsh House, Mile House, Newtown, Northfield, Norton, Portrack and Tilery, Roseworth, St Aidan's, St Cuthbert's, Whitton, and Wolviston.

1997–2010: The Borough of Stockton-on-Tees wards of Blue Hall, Charltons, Glebe, Grange, Hardwick, Marsh House, Mile House, Newtown, Northfield, Norton, Portrack and Tilery, Roseworth, St Aidan's, St Cuthbert's, Whitton, and Wolviston.

2010–2024: The Borough of Stockton-on-Tees wards of Billingham Central, Billingham East, Billingham North, Billingham South, Billingham West, Hardwick, Newtown, Northern Parishes, Norton North, Norton South, Norton West, Roseworth, Stockton Town Centre, and Western Parishes.

2024–present: The Borough of Stockton-on-Tees wards of: Billingham Central; Billingham East; Billingham North; Billingham South; Billingham West & Wolviston; Eaglescliffe East (small part); Grangefield (majority); Hardwick & Salters Lane; Newtown; Northern Parishes (majority); Norton Central; Norton North; Norton South; Ropner; Roseworth; Stockton Town Centre; and a very small part of Hartburn.

Changes enacted by the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies (from the 2024 general election) to the constituency described as the following: In order to bring the electorate within the permitted electoral range, the Parkfield and Oxbridge ward will be transferred in from Stockton South (to be renamed Stockton West) in exchange for Western Parishes.

Stockton North consists of the north-eastern part of Stockton-on-Tees in County Durham and the nearby towns and villages of Billingham, Wolviston, Port Clarence and Thorpe Thewles.

History
The constituency was created for the 1983 general election, partially replacing the former Stockton-on-Tees constituency. The outgoing MP for Stockton-on-Tees was Bill Rodgers, who had held the seat since 1962. He had been a Labour Party member until 1981, when he left to found the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

The 1983 election was the first since Rodgers had left the Labour Party, and he was narrowly defeated by Labour's Frank Cook. Cook held the seat with majorities between 16% and 48% until the 2010 general election, when after 27 years as the MP he was de-selected by his local party. Cook chose to run again however, as an independent candidate. Cook polled less than 5% of the vote, fifth of the seven candidates who stood, and joined four of these in forfeiting his deposit and the seat was held by the Labour Party's next candidate, Alex Cunningham.

In November 2021, Cunningham announced his intention to stand down at the 2024 general election.

Constituency profile
The town of Stockton-on-Tees is a significant exports manufacturing and processing base in the United Kingdom. Stockton North has often in economically troubled times significantly more unemployment than Stockton South: workless claimants, registered jobseekers, were in November 2012 significantly above the national average of 3.8%, at 7.0% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian compared to 4.5% in Stockton South.

In November 2023 Home Secretary James Cleverly was accused of calling the constituency "a shithole" during a Commons debate. The comment was said to have been made after the prime minister Rishi Sunak was challenged by MP Alex Cunningham on the level of child poverty in his constituency.