2021 Hartlepool by-election

2021 Hartlepool by-election
← 2019 6 May 2021 (2021-05-06) 2024 →
Hartlepool constituency
Turnout42.7% (Decrease15.2 pp)
  First party Second party Third party
 
Ind
Candidate Jill Mortimer Paul Williams Sam Lee
Party Conservative Labour Independent
Popular vote 15,529 8,589 2,904
Percentage 51.9% 28.7% 9.7%
Swing Increase23.0 pp Decrease9.0 pp New candidate
MP before election

Mike Hill
Labour

Elected MP

Jill Mortimer
Conservative

A by-election for the House of Commons constituency of Hartlepool in the former county of Cleveland, England, was held on 6 May 2021. The by-election was triggered following the resignation of Labour Member of Parliament (MP) Mike Hill, who resigned over allegations of sexual harassment.[1] It was held on 6 May 2021 alongside elections to the Borough Council, Tees Valley Mayor, and Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner.[2]

This was the first by-election to the parliament elected in 2019.[3] The 21-month gap between the last by-election in Brecon and Radnorshire in August 2019 and the polling day of the by-election in Hartlepool was the longest since the Second World War. The 21-month gap was partially attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic.[4]

The Conservative candidate, Jill Mortimer, won the by-election with 51.9% of the vote and a swing from Labour of almost 16%.[5] It became only the second time since 1982 that the UK governing party gained a seat in a by-election,[5] and was the first Conservative win in the constituency since its creation in 1974, with a majority of 6,940 votes.[6]

  1. ^ Rodgers, Sienna (16 March 2021). "Mike Hill quits as Labour MP for Hartlepool with immediate effect". LabourList. Archived from the original on 16 March 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  2. ^ Marko, Nic (31 March 2021). "Hartlepool voters to go to the polls for four elections on the same day". LabourList. Archived from the original on 25 October 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  3. ^ "Mike Hill: Hartlepool MP quits 'with immediate effect'". BBC News. 16 March 2021. Archived from the original on 16 March 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  4. ^ "New post-war record for longest period since parliamentary by-election". The New European. 1 March 2021. Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Labour crashes to humiliating byelection defeat in Hartlepool". The Guardian. 7 May 2021. Archived from the original on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  6. ^ "Elections 2021: Conservatives hail historic Labour defeat in Hartlepool by-election". BBC News. 7 May 2021. Archived from the original on 10 May 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2021.