Hexham is a constituency in Northumberland represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Joe Morris of the Labour Party. 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.
The seat was created as one of four single member divisions of the county of Northumberland under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885.
Constituency profile The largest constituency by land area in England since the 2024 boundary changes, Hexham reaches to the Pennines and is traversed by Hadrian's Wall, which runs almost due east–west through England. It includes substantial agricultural holdings, forestry, wood processing, food, minerals, and manufactured hardware industries. In the midst of the northwest of the constituency is Kielder Water; running between this area and the middle of the seat is the southern portion of Kielder Forest, and in the west, the attractions of the precipitous Haltwhistle Burn, Viaduct and Castle. SSE of Hexham is the Derwent Reservoir. As well as those rural areas, the constituency also includes part of Newcastle's middle-class commuter suburbs.
Despite the generally middle-class composition of the population, there are also some more working-class areas: Prudhoe frequently elects Labour councillors and has demographics similar to neighbouring parts of Blaydon, a strongly Labour town in the Blaydon and Consett constituency. There is also some deprivation in rural areas, particularly around Haltwhistle. Based on the latest published old age dependency ratios, a slightly larger than average level of the population is retired.
An estimate by the House of Commons Library puts the Leave vote by the constituency in the 2016 referendum at 45%.
History Hexham was considered a safe seat for the Conservative Party, having been under their control for almost a century, with generally safe majorities, from 1924 until it was gained by Labour in 2024. It was the only Conservative seat in the North East between the New Labour years in government from 1997–2010, and the only one in Northumberland from 1973 until the Conservatives gained Berwick-upon-Tweed from the Liberal Democrats in 2015. It was also the northernmost seat won by the Conservatives in 1997, in what would be their worst landslide defeat at any general election of the twentieth century; with all Conservative MPs in Scotland and Wales unseated that year. In 1997, the Labour Party was very close to winning the seat, but the Conservatives retained it with a significantly reduced narrow majority of 222 votes.
In 2024, Labour won the seat for the first time on a swing of 14.9% and a majority of 7.2%, despite the fact that it was one of the few seats where Reform UK did not stand.
Boundaries
Historic 1885–1918: The Sessional Divisions of Bellingham, Coquetdale West, Haltwhistle, and Tynedale.
The contents of the county division were defined by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885.
1918–1950: The Rural Districts of Bellingham, Haltwhistle, Hexham, and the part of the Rural District of Castle Ward which consists of the civil parishes of Bitchfield, Black Heddon, Capheaton, Cheeseburn Grange, East Matfen, Fenwick, Harlow Hill, Hawkwell, Heugh, Ingoe, Kearsley, Kirkheaton, Nesbitt, Ouston, Ryal, Wallridge and West Matfen, and the Urban Districts of Hexham and Prudhoe.
Rothbury was transferred to Berwick-upon-Tweed.
1950–1974: The Urban Districts of Hexham and Prudhoe, and the Rural Districts of Bellingham, Castle Ward, Haltwhistle, Hexham.
The remainder of Castle Ward was transferred from the abolished constituency of Wansbeck.
1974–1983: The urban districts of Hexham and Prudhoe, and the rural districts of Bellingham, Castle Ward, Haltwhistle, and Hexham.
The boundary with Blyth was slightly amended to take account of changes to local government boundaries.
1983–2010: The District of Tynedale, and the following wards of the Borough of Castle Morpeth: Heddon-on-the-Wall, Ponteland East, Ponteland North, Ponteland South, Ponteland West, Stamfordham, Stannington, and Whalton.
Contents changed following reorganisation of local authorities in 1974. The area of the former rural district of Castle Ward which was now part of the City of Newcastle upon Tyne in Tyne and Wear was now included in Newcastle upon Tyne North.
2010–2024: The District of Tynedale, and the following wards of the Borough of Castle Morpeth: Heddon-on-the-Wall, Ponteland East, Ponteland North, Ponteland South, Ponteland West, Stamfordham, and Stannington.
In the fifth periodic boundary review of parliamentary representation in Northumberland, which came into effect for the 2010 general election, the contents of the existing Hexham constituency were unchanged except for losing the southern part of the Hartburn ward to Berwick-upon-Tweed, and the Boundary Commission for England made only minor changes in Northumberland to take account of ward boundary changes.
In 2009, a further government reorganisation resulted in the abolition of all local government boroughs and districts in Northumberland and the establishment of the county as a unitary authority. However, this did not affect the constituency boundaries.
Current Further to the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the composition of the constituency was defined as follows (as they existed on 1 December 2020):
The City of Newcastle upon Tyne ward of Callerton & Throckley; The County of Northumberland electoral divisions of Bellingham, Bywell, Corbridge, Haltwhistle, Haydon and Hadrian, Hexham Central with Acomb, Hexham East, Hexham West, Humshaugh, Longhorsley, Ponteland East and Stannington, Ponteland North, Ponteland South with Heddon, Ponteland West, Prudhoe North, Prudhoe South, South Tynedale, and Stocksfield and Broomhaugh. The seat was expanded to bring the electorate within the permitted range by adding the Newcastle ward of Callerton & Throckley. The boundaries within Northumberland were adjusted slightly to take account of a reorganisation of local authority electoral divisions. Following local government boundary reviews in both local authorities, the constituency now comprises the following:
Parts of the City of Newcastle upon Tyne wards of Kingston Park & Dinnington (small part including the village of Woolsington), Newbiggin Hall & Callerton (small part including the village of Callerton), and Throckley, Wallbottle & Newburn (nearly all); The County of Northumberland electoral divisions of Bellingham, Choppington and Hepscott (part including Hepscott), Corbridge, Haltwhistle, Haydon and Hadrian, Hexham East, Hexham North, Hexham West, Humshaugh, Longhorsley (part), Ponteland East and Stannington, Ponteland North, Ponteland South with Heddon, Ponteland West, Prudhoe North and Wylam, Prudhoe South, Prudhoe West and Mickley, South Tynedale, and Stocksfield and Bywell.
Members of Parliament Colonel Douglas Clifton Brown, who was Speaker of the House of Commons during the latter years of the World War II, represented the seat for two separate tenures (from 1918–23, and again from 1924–51). YearMemberParty 1885 Miles MacInnes Liberal 1892Nathaniel Clayton Conservative 1893 Miles MacInnes Liberal 1895 Wentworth Beaumont 1907 Richard Durning Holt 1918 Douglas Clifton BrownUnionist 1923 Victor Finney Liberal 1924 Douglas Clifton Brown Unionist 1943 Speaker 1951 Rupert Speir Conservative 1966 Geoffrey Rippon 1987 Alan Amos 1992 Peter Atkinson 2010 Guy Opperman 2024 Joe Morris Labour
Elections
Elections in the 2020s
Elections in the 2010s
Elections in the 2000s
Elections in the 1990s
Elections in the 1980s
Elections in the 1970s
Elections in the 1960s
Elections in the 1950s
Elections in the 1940s
1943: Douglas Clifton-Brown becomes Speaker of the House of Commons.
Elections in the 1930s
Elections in the 1920s
Elections in the 1910s
General Election 1914–15:
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected: Liberal: Richard Durning Holt Unionist: Alan PercyNewcastle Journal 12 March 1914
Elections in the 1900s
Elections in the 1890s
Caused after the 1892 result was declared void on petition.
Clayton was unseated on petition
Elections in the 1880s
See also List of parliamentary constituencies in Northumberland History of parliamentary constituencies and boundaries in Northumberland List of parliamentary constituencies in North East England (region)
Notes
References Specific
General Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. .
External links Hexham UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK Hexham UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK Hexham UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK