Redcar
Borough constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Redcar in Cleveland
Location of Cleveland within England
County	North Yorkshire (area formerly in the county of Cleveland)
Electorate	65,524 (2018)[1]
Major settlements	Marske-by-the-Sea, Redcar, Eston, South Bank
Current constituency
Created	1974 (1974)
Member of Parliament	Jacob Young (Conservative)
Seats	One
Created from	Cleveland

Redcar is a constituency^{[n 1]} represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by Jacob Young, a Conservative.^{[n 2]}

History

The constituency was created in 1974 and was held by the Labour Party from then until 2019, except during a period between 2010 and 2015 when it was held by the Liberal Democrats. In the 2019 General Election, Redcar was the largest Labour majority overturned by the Conservatives, being represented since by a Conservative MP.

Boundaries

Map of current boundaries

1974–1983: The County Borough of Teesside wards of Coatham, Eston Grange, Kirkleatham, Ormesby, Redcar, and South Bank.

1983–1997: The Borough of Langbaurgh wards of Bankside, Church Lane, Coatham, Dormanstown, Eston, Grangetown, Kirkleatham, Newcomen, Normanby, Ormesby, Overfields, Redcar, South Bank, Teesville, and West Dyke.

1997–2010: The Borough of Langbaurgh-on-Tees wards of Coatham, Dormanstown, Eston, Grangetown, Kirkleatham, Longbeck, Newcomen, Normanby, Ormesby, Redcar, St Germain's, South Bank, Teesville, and West Dyke.

2010–present: The Borough of Redcar and Cleveland wards of Coatham, Dormanstown, Eston, Grangetown, Kirkleatham, Longbeck, Newcomen, Normanby, Ormesby, St Germain's, South Bank, Teesville, West Dyke, and Zetland.

The Redcar constituency on the Cleveland coast is formed from parts of the Redcar and Cleveland district.

It takes its name from the coastal resort of Redcar although much of the population lives in the traditionally solid Labour areas between Redcar and Middlesbrough (such as Grangetown, Eston, Normanby, Ormesby and South Bank). It also includes Dormanstown, Kirkleatham and Marske-by-the-Sea. Once held by the former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Mo Mowlam, the seat was gained by the Liberal Democrats in the 2010 general election on a massive 21.8% swing from Labour, the largest swing in England since the Second World War outside of by-elections. In 2015, however, the sitting MP Ian Swales did not seek re-election, and Labour regained the seat on another huge swing of 18.9% away from the Liberal Democrats, who polled just ahead of UKIP with the Conservatives in fourth. In 2019, the seat was one of a number of long standing Labour seats in the north of England which fell to the Conservatives.^[2]

Proposed

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, from the next general election, due by January 2025, the constituency will be composed of the following wards of the Borough of Redcar and Cleveland (as they existed on 1 December 2020):

Coatham; Dormanstown; Eston; Grangetown; Kirkleatham; Longbeck; Newcomen; Normanby; Ormesby; St. Germain’s; Saltburn; South Bank; Teesville; West Dyke; Wheatlands; Zetland.^[3]

The constituency will be expanded slightly to bring the electorate within the permitted range, by adding the town of Saltburn-by-the-Sea from Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland.

Constituency profile

The constituency had a slightly higher unemployment at the end of 2012 than the North-East average. However, it had a significantly lower claimant count, owing to its exports and manufacturing industry, than nearby Middlesbrough.^[4] Average incomes based on the latest income (2001 census figures) available, are not markedly lower than the national average.^[5]

Members of Parliament

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Redcar^[10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Jacob Young	18,811	46.1	12.9
	Labour Co-op	Anna Turley	15,284	37.4	18.1
	Brexit Party	Jacqui Cummins	2,915	7.1	New
	Liberal Democrats	Karen King	2,018	4.9	1.8
	Independent	Frankie Wales	1,323	3.2	New
	Green	Rowan Mclaughlin	491	1.2	New
Majority			3,527	8.7	N/A
Turnout			40,842	62.0	1.8
	Conservative gain from Labour Co-op		Swing	15.4

General election 2017: Redcar^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour Co-op	Anna Turley	23,623	55.5	11.6
	Conservative	Peter Gibson	14,138	33.2	17.0
	Liberal Democrats	Josh Mason	2,849	6.7	11.8
	UKIP	Chris Gallacher	1,950	4.6	13.8
Majority			9,485	22.3	3.1
Turnout			42,626	63.8	0.7
	Labour Co-op hold		Swing	2.7