General Election 2024: All the latest updates across South Tyneside

Welcome to the Shields Gazette’s live coverage of the 2024 General Election.

Stay with us throughout the day and into the night to keep up to date with what is happening across the region.

South Shields

Jonathan Aibi - Liberal Democrats

David Francis - Green Party

Stephen Holt - Reform UK

Ahmed Khan - Independent

Emma Lewell-Buck - Labour Party

Craig Robinson - Conservative Party

Jarrow and Gateshead East

Lynda Alexander - Reform UK

Mark Conway - Alliance for Democracy and Freedom ADF

Nic Cook - Green Party

Jack Gebhard - Conservative Party

Kate Osborne - Labour Party

Jamie Rickelton - Liberal Democrats

Candidates are listed in the order they appear on South Tyneside Council’s list of candidates at the close of nominations.

Haven’t been able to head out and cast your vote yet?

From the list of valid ID to what will happen at the polling station, this is everything you may need to know.

Everything you need to know for polling day in South Tyneside

We not have less than two hours until polling stations across the region close.

Anyone queueing at a polling station at 10pm is still able to vote, but anyone arriving after 10pm cannot.

The social media phenomenon has returned this year with plenty of voters taking their four legged friends to the polling station.

Your Shields Gazette team have arrived at South Shields’ Temple Park Centre ahead of the counts tonight.

Council counters are starting to take their places ahead of the first boxes arriving after 10pm.

We now have ballot counters in place - polls close in 15 minutes.

Voting is now over across the nation. We now wait for the first ballot boxes to arrive from across the two constituencies.

Counts are taking plase across the UK, and you can keep up to date with all the latest news from across the country through our national live blog here.

This was the moment the BBC announced the results of their exit poll at 10pm this evening.

Labour Leader Keir Starmer has thanked his party members after the BBC exit poll suggests he will see a landslide victory overnight.

Shields Gazette writer Ryan Smith has reacted to the exit poll, saying:

“The buzz is starting to build here at the Temple Park Leisure Centre, in South Shields, as the first ballot boxes start to arrive.”

“Exit polls are indicating a huge Labour majority across the UK and it would be fair to expect South Tyneside to follow suit with that trend and re-elect its two Labour MPs, given the nature of the 'Red Wall'.

“It is worth noting that issues such as bin strikes severely impacted Labour during the local elections as voters made their feelings known at the ballot box - will lightning strike twice?

“Having been well talked about throughout the election campaign, Reform will be looking to see if all that noise can be transformed into actual votes.

“And given they are popular at a local level here in the borough, the Green Party might also be sensing an opportunity. One thing is for certain, if the exit poll is to be believed, the UK's political landscape will look very different tomorrow morning.”

History will be made across the country this evening - with some big names potentially leaving Parliament.

Counts are ongoing, but we can expect the results from the two South Tyneside seats between 2pm and 3pm.

Strap in for a long night!

Staying in the North East, the race to be the first seat to declare has been won by Houghton and Sunderland South.

Labour hold the seat.