History
The seat was formed from a combination of Stockton-on-Tees and Thornaby in 1987, predominantly as a replacement to the latter seat.
- Political History
More "middle-class" than neighbouring Stockton North, and first held by the former SDP-Liberal Alliance very narrowly in 1983, then by a Conservative from 1987 for the next ten years, the seat acted as a bellwether in Labour's landslide in 1997 and its member Dari Taylor retained until the 2010 general election when the Conservative, James Wharton narrowly won the seat. It was the Conservative Party's only gain in the North East.
Read more about this topic: Stockton South (UK Parliament Constituency)
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