Frequently Asked Questions — South Shields Constituency

Who won the South Shields constituency election in 2005?

Labour held South Shields constituency at the 5 May 2005 General Election. Labour won with a majority of 12,312 votes (40.8%). Turnout was 50.9%.

What does swing mean in UK elections?

Swing measures how much support has shifted between two parties compared to a previous election. The Butler swing formula — used in British election reporting since the 1950s — takes the average of the gain in the winner's vote share and the loss in the runner-up's. A 5% swing is considered large at ward level; anything above 10% is exceptional. The swing figure for South Shields in 2005 is shown in the statistics above.