Houghton and Sunderland South

Houghton and Sunderland South
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Boundaries since 2024
Boundary within the North East England
CountyTyne and Wear
Electorate76,883 (2023)[1]
Current constituency
Created2010
Member of ParliamentBridget Phillipson (Labour)
SeatsOne
Created fromSunderland South, Houghton and Washington East

Houghton and Sunderland South (/ˈhoʊtən/) is a constituency[n 1] in Tyne and Wear represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Since its creation in 2010, the seat has been represented by Bridget Phillipson of the Labour Party,[n 2] who currently serves as Secretary of State for Education under the government of Keir Starmer.

In the 2010 and 2015 general elections, it was the first constituency to declare its result, continuing the record of its predecessor seat, Sunderland South, in the four general elections from 1992 to 2005. However, in the 2017 and 2019 general elections, it was beaten by Newcastle upon Tyne Central.[2] It regained the position as first constituency to declare in the 2024 election,[3] while Newcastle ruled itself out of being the first prior to the polling date for various reasons.[4]

Constituency profile

The Houghton and Sunderland South constituency is located in Tyne and Wear and was historically in County Durham. It covers the southwestern suburbs of the city of Sunderland (South Hylton, Pennywell, Farringdon and New Silksworth) and the towns of Houghton-le-Spring and Hetton-le-Hole to the city's southwest. The Sunderland suburbs were developed after World War II as social housing estates to house industrial workers and have high levels of deprivation; most of this area falls within the top 10% most-deprived parts of England.[5] Houghton-le-Spring and Hetton-le-Hole were traditionally coal mining towns and also have low levels of wealth.[6][5] The average house price across the constituency is less than half the national average.[7]

Residents of the constituency generally have low levels of education and are more religious than the rest of the country. Household income is low and a high proportion of residents work in the construction and manufacturing industries.[7][8] White people made up 97% of the population at the 2021 census.[7] At the local council, most of the constituency is represented by the Labour Party, although some Conservative and Liberal Democrat councillors were elected in the Sunderland suburbs. Voters in the constituency strongly supported leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum; an estimated 64% voted in favour of Brexit compared to the nationwide figure of 52%.[7]

Boundaries

Houghton and Sunderland South was created for the 2010 general election when the Boundary Commission reduced the number of seats in Tyne and Wear from 13 to 12, with the constituencies in the City of Sunderland, in particular, being reorganised. The constituency was formed from the majority of the former Houghton and Washington East seat (Copt Hill, Doxford, Hetton, Houghton and Shiney Row wards) and parts of the former Sunderland South seat (St Chad's, Sandhill and Silksworth wards).

2010–2024: The City of Sunderland wards of Copt Hill, Doxford, Hetton, Houghton, St Chad's, Sandhill, Shiney Row, and Silksworth.[9]

2024–present: The City of Sunderland wards of Copt Hill, Doxford, Hetton, Houghton, Sandhill, Shiney Row, Silksworth, St Anne's, and St. Chad's.[10]

Expanded to bring the electorate within the permitted range, by adding the City of Sunderland ward of St Anne's, transferred from the abolished Washington and Sunderland West.'[11]

Members of Parliament

Election Member[12] Party
2010 Bridget Phillipson Labour

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Houghton and Sunderland South[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bridget Phillipson 18,837 47.1 +6.7
Reform UK Sam Woods-Brass 11,668 29.1 +13.4
Conservative Chris Burnicle 5,514 13.8 −19.1
Liberal Democrats Paul Edgeworth 2,290 5.7 −0.2
Green Richard Bradley 1,723 4.3 +1.6
Majority 7,168 18.0 +10.2
Turnout 40,032 51.0 −6.0
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Houghton and Sunderland South[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bridget Phillipson 16,210 40.7 −18.8
Conservative Christopher Howarth 13,095 32.9 +3.2
Brexit Party Kevin Yuill 6,165 15.5 New
Liberal Democrats Paul Edgeworth 2,319 5.8 +3.6
Green Richard Bradley 1,125 2.8 +1.0
UKIP Richard Elvin 897 2.3 −3.4
Majority 3,115 7.8 −22.0
Turnout 39,811 57.8 −3.1
Labour hold Swing −11.0
General election 2017: Houghton and Sunderland South[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bridget Phillipson 24,665 59.5 +4.4
Conservative Paul Howell 12,324 29.7 +11.2
UKIP Michael Joyce 2,379 5.7 −15.8
Liberal Democrats Paul Edgeworth 908 2.2 +0.1
Green Richard Bradley 725 1.8 −1.0
Independent Michael Watson 479 1.2 New
Majority 12,341 29.8 −3.8
Turnout 41,480 60.9 +4.6
Labour hold Swing −3.4
General election 2015: Houghton and Sunderland South[16][17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bridget Phillipson 21,218 55.1 +4.8
UKIP Richard Elvin 8,280 21.5 +18.8
Conservative Stewart Hay[18] 7,105 18.5 −2.9
Green Alan Robinson 1,095 2.8 New
Liberal Democrats Jim Murray[19] 791 2.1 −11.8
Majority 12,938 33.6 +4.7
Turnout 38,489 56.3 +1.0
Labour hold Swing −7.0
General election 2010: Houghton and Sunderland South[20][21][22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bridget Phillipson 19,137 50.3
Conservative Robert Oliver 8,147 21.4
Liberal Democrats Christopher Boyle 5,292 13.9
Independent Colin Wakefield 2,462 6.5
BNP Karen Allen 1,961 5.2
UKIP Richard Elvin 1,022 2.7
Majority 10,990 28.9
Turnout 38,021 55.3
Labour win (new seat)

See also

Notes

  1. ^ A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. ^ As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.

References

  1. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – North East". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  2. ^ "Elections 2017: Declaration times in time order". Press Association. Archived from the original on 4 June 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
  3. ^ "UK general election results live: Exit poll predicts Labour to win general election landslide". BBC News. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  4. ^ Holland, Daniel; Robinson, James. "Who will be the first to return election result?". BBC. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Constituency data: Deprivation in England". commonslibrary.parliament.uk. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
  6. ^ Durham Mining Museum
  7. ^ a b c d "Seat Details - Houghton and Sunderland South". electoralcalculus.co.uk. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
  8. ^ "Constituency data: businesses and industries". commonslibrary.parliament.uk. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
  9. ^ "2010 post-revision map Greater London and metropolitan areas of England" (PDF).
  10. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – Yorkshire and the Humber | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  11. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 4 North East region.
  12. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "H" (part 4)
  13. ^ "Houghton and Sunderland South – General election results 2024". BBC News.
  14. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 February 2021. Retrieved 17 November 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  15. ^ Seddon, Sean (9 June 2017). "Houghton & Sunderland South constituency General Election results 2017". nechronicle.
  16. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  17. ^ "Houghton & Sunderland South parliamentary constituency – Election 2017" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  18. ^ "Conservative Parliamentary Candidates Chosen". Sunderland. Archived from the original on 15 February 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  19. ^ "list of selected candidates". Lib Dems. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  20. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  21. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 3 May 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  22. ^ "BBC NEWS – Election 2010 – Houghton & Sunderland South". BBC News.

54°51′N 1°27′W / 54.85°N 1.45°W / 54.85; -1.45

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