Post by jamie on Jul 15, 2023 21:10:43 GMT
A newly named constituency, this is the clear successor to the old Jarrow constituency. It sheds ‘Cleadon and East Boldon’ ward while gaining 2 further Gateshead wards from Gateshead constituency. Jarrow was first won by Labour all the way back in 1907 and has been continuously held by Labour since 1935. At the last election Labour suffered an 11% swing but this still left them with an 18% majority. The new boundaries will push the notional majority back above 20%.
The eponymous settlement of Jarrow, famous for its shipbuilding and the Jarrow March against unemployment, is every bit the Labour stronghold its reputation would suggest. Neighbouring Hebburn is much the same. The Boldon Colliery area, which appropriately enough had a colliery until 1982, is a bit more politically marginal, but in this part of the world that’s not saying much. These are all working class area, with Jarrow in particular having significant endemic poverty.
The rest of the constituency is situated in Gateshead. This is another urban, industrial and largely working class area which leans very strongly to Labour. The 2 wards joining the constituency, ‘Felling’ and ‘Wardley + Leam Lane’, are demographically similar to the rest of the constituency, with Felling if anything even more monolithically working class and supportive of the Labour Party. Collectively the 4 Gateshead Council wards included in this constituency constituted the Felling Urban District Council which was abolished in 1974. Pretty much every ward in the constituency had a significant amount of council housing, with the constituency ranking 18th in England and Wales for socially rented homes.
Looking ahead, this is clearly a safe Labour constituency. Post-Brexit, Labour should expect a large swing back to them in this part of the world at the next election. Combined with the boundary changes, Jarrow and Gateshead East should fall even further down the list of vulnerable Labour seats.
The eponymous settlement of Jarrow, famous for its shipbuilding and the Jarrow March against unemployment, is every bit the Labour stronghold its reputation would suggest. Neighbouring Hebburn is much the same. The Boldon Colliery area, which appropriately enough had a colliery until 1982, is a bit more politically marginal, but in this part of the world that’s not saying much. These are all working class area, with Jarrow in particular having significant endemic poverty.
The rest of the constituency is situated in Gateshead. This is another urban, industrial and largely working class area which leans very strongly to Labour. The 2 wards joining the constituency, ‘Felling’ and ‘Wardley + Leam Lane’, are demographically similar to the rest of the constituency, with Felling if anything even more monolithically working class and supportive of the Labour Party. Collectively the 4 Gateshead Council wards included in this constituency constituted the Felling Urban District Council which was abolished in 1974. Pretty much every ward in the constituency had a significant amount of council housing, with the constituency ranking 18th in England and Wales for socially rented homes.
Looking ahead, this is clearly a safe Labour constituency. Post-Brexit, Labour should expect a large swing back to them in this part of the world at the next election. Combined with the boundary changes, Jarrow and Gateshead East should fall even further down the list of vulnerable Labour seats.
