North East · England · 75,123Boundary · 2023

Middlesbrough & Thornaby East

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Created in the 2023 boundary review, replacing Middlesbrough.

Dispatch
Apr 2026

A new constituency created in the 2023 boundary review. Won by Lab in its first election in 2024. Covers Middlesbrough and Thornaby-on-Tees. Population 114,624, notably young (median age 35 vs 41 nationally). Recorded crime is 162% above the national average. Median income £23K (below average).

One of Labour's more restless backbenchers, Andy McDonald has built a consistent record of voting against his own party on welfare cuts -- most visibly opposing the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill at committee stage in July 2025, backing protections for LCWRA claimants and voting against key clauses the government wanted preserved. He has also broken ranks on tuition fee increases, the expansion of protest criminalisation under the Public Order Act, and most recently on the Crime and Policing Bill's Lords amendments package -- placing him among the small group of Labour MPs willing to defy the whip repeatedly on civil liberties and welfare grounds. Off the floor, he has been publicly demanding transparency over Peter Mandelson's appointment and campaigning against the release of Teesside murderer Reginald Wilson, meeting victims' families and raising the case directly with the Justice Secretary.

At 85% voting participation and 95.9% party alignment, McDonald is broadly a loyalist -- but his deviations are targeted and consistent. His stance profile shows him sharply out of step with Labour colleagues on disability benefits and welfare reform, voting to protect claimants at a rate far exceeding the parliamentary party average. He speaks frequently, with 217 contributions across 129 debates, concentrating on the economy, defence, social care, and fiscal policy. He holds no current committee positions.

414
Commons votes
This parliament
£23k
Median income
HMRC · 2024
75.1k
Electorate
2024 GE

Recorded crime is 162% above the national average.

Current Member of Parliament

Andy McDonald

Andy McDonald

Labour Party

Andy McDonald is the Labour MP for Middlesbrough and Thornaby East, and has been an MP continually since 29 November 2012.

Notable Votes

MPs voted on whether to accept the remaining Lords amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill, a wide-ranging policing and criminal justice bill. This was a package vote covering multiple Lords changes, some of which the government accepted, others it rejected and replaced with alternative provisions, including on civil liberties issues such as freedom of expression and religion.

MP voted NoAgainst party majorityLikely whipped

Vote on regulations to raise university tuition fees in England by 2.71% for 2026-27. The Labour government backed the increase, while opposition MPs (Conservatives) criticised it as an added burden on young people, despite their own party having nearly tripled fees in 2012.

MP voted NoAgainst party majorityLikely whipped

MPs voted on new regulations expanding the Public Order Act 2023 to criminalise interference with key national infrastructure, such as energy, transport, and water systems. This extends powers introduced to tackle disruptive protest tactics used by groups like Just Stop Oil.

MP voted NoAgainst party majorityLikely whipped

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Voting at a Glance

A new constituency created in the 2023 boundary review. Won by Lab in its first election in 2024. Covers Middlesbrough and Thornaby-on-Tees. Population 114,624, notably young (median age 35 vs 41 nationally). Recorded crime is 162% above the national average. Median income £23K (below average).

2024 General Election

§ 06This week in Westminster.Live · today’s sittingOrder Paper · refreshed daily

McDonald’s scheduled Commons activity this week — whipped divisions, oral questions, debates — drawn from the House of Commons Order Paper.

§ 07The record, at a glance.430 divisions voted

Two readings of the same data. Issue volume shows where McDonald has cast the most ballots — a proxy for engagement, not direction. Notable votes are the moments where the whip was free or where they broke ranks.

Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted · cumulative this Parliament
Taxation
84
Economy
74
Employment
51
Crime & Policing
41
Education
39
Welfare and Benefits
27
Notable votes
Free votes and rebellions — moments the MP’s own judgment matters more than the whip
Crime and Policing Bill: motion to agree with all remaining Lords Amendments 14 Apr 2026
No
Draft Higher Education (Fee Limits and Fee Limit Condition) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 202618 Mar 2026
No
Draft Public Order Act 2023 (Interference With Use or Operation of Key National Infrastructure) Regulations 202514 Jan 2026
No
§ 08The local picture.13 wards

Constituencies are not uniform. Below — the local council make-up, key facts worth knowing, and the neighbouring seats on either side.

WardCouncillorVotesParty
AcklamLuke Henman1,067Labour P
AyresomeJackie Young318Independ
Berwick Hills PallisterDonna Jones391Independ
Berwick Hills PallisterIan Blades451Labour P
Berwick Hills PallisterJulia Cooke416Labour P
Brambles ThorntreeGraham Wilson326Independ
Brambles ThorntreeJack Banks362Labour P
Brambles ThorntreeStella Tranter364Labour P
CentralLewis Young1,644Labour P
KaderJim Platt944Independ
KaderSharon Platt732Independ
LinthorpeNaweed Hussain823Labour P
Population (2021 Census)
114,624
Electorate 75,123 · 2024 register
Median income
£23,100
HMRC SPI 2024
Households renting privately
25.0%
England average 20.0%
Schools
48
29 primary · 6 secondary
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More constituency data is being added, including local issue analysis and historical trends. Learn about our methodology. View data sources & attribution.