Hartlepool voters to go to the polls for four elections on the same day

On Thursday, May 6, people in the town will be voting for who they want to see become Hartlepool s MP following Mike Hill’s sudden resignation on March 16.

Potential candidates now have until Thursday, April 8, to secure their place on ballot papers with a final list of contenders expected to be revealed either later that day or on April 9.

On the same day, however, voters will also choose who will take up the 36 seats on Hartlepool Borough Council as well as who who they want to be Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner (CPCC) and the Tees Valley Mayor.

These three elections had all been due to take place in May 2020 until they were postponed for a year due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Three councillors will be elected to each of 12 new wards in Hartlepool following a review by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England.

The change will increase the total number of councillors on the council from 33 to 36.

A list of all candidates standing for the council election is due to be published on April 9.

With social distancing still in force, council chiefs will be confirming more information on how the elections will be carried out in due course.

The previous PCC, Labour's Barry Coppinger, resigned in September 2020 and since then Lisa Oldroyd has been acting commissioner.

Matthew Storey will be Labour’s candidate, replacing Dr Paul Williams who was initially chosen before he stepped down and announced he would be standing for Hartlepool's MP.

The Conservative candidate for the position is Steve Turner while Liberal Democrat Chris Jones is also set to stand.

Conservative Ben Houchen will be hoping he is re-elected by residents in the Tees Valley Mayoral vote after previously being victorious in the inaugural ballot in 2017.

However he will face competition from Labour candidate Jessie Joe Jacobs at the polls on May 6.

A formal notice of election confirming the by-election date was published by the council this week.

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