THE Conservatives have won the Hartlepool by-election, taking the constituency for the first time since it was created almost 50 years ago.

Jill Mortimer defeated Labour candidate Dr Paul Williams by 6,940 votes to become the town's new MP, ending a run of Labour control since the 1970s.

Here's a recap of everything you need to know from another historic North-East election night

What was the result?

Jill Mortimer (Con) 15,529 (51.88%, +22.96%)

Paul Williams (Lab) 8,589 (28.69%, -8.99%)

Sam Lee (Ind) 2,904 (9.70%)

Claire Martin (Heritage) 468 (1.56%)

John Prescott (Reform) 368 (1.23%)

Rachel Featherstone (Green) 358 (1.20%)

Andrew Hagon (LD) 349 (1.17%, -2.97%)

Thelma Walker (Ind) 250 (0.84%)

Chris Killick (ND) 248 (0.83%)

Hilton Dawson (NE Party) 163 (0.54%)

W Ralph Ward-Jackson (Ind) 157 (0.52%)

Gemma Evans (Women) 140 (0.47%)

Adam Gaines (Ind) 126 (0.42%)

The Incredible Flying Brick (Loony) 108 (0.36%)

David Bettney (Soc Dem) 104 (0.35%)

Steve Jack (FA) 72 (0.24%)

What was the Conservative majority?

6,940 (23.19%)

What was the swing?

15.97% swing from Labour to Conservative

What was the turnout?

Electorate 70,768; Turnout 29,933 (42.30%, down 15.62% on 2019)

What did Jill Mortimer say about her victory?

The Northern Echo:

“I am incredibly proud of the campaign my team and I have run in Hartlepool – it is based on local issues of real concern to the community here, and I would like to thank all of the people of this great town who have responded so positively to it.

“I’m also immensely proud to be the first Conservative MP in Hartlepool for 57 years.

“Not only that, I am the first woman ever to be elected as MP for this town.

“It is a truly historic result and a momentous day.

“Labour have taken people in Hartlepool for granted for too long.

“I heard this time and time again on the doorstep and people have had enough and now, through this result, the people have spoken and have made it clear it is time for change.”

What about Dr Paul Williams?

The Northern Echo:

He left without speaking to the media

But later he tweeted: "A massive thank you to everyone in Hartlepool who voted for me, and to the incredible Labour volunteers who worked so hard.

"#Congrats to Jill Mortimer.

"I’m off to do the important job now of taking the kids to school."

And what about Labour?

The defeat was signalled by senior figures hours before the official announcement, with shadow transport secretary Jim McMahon telling Sky News shortly before 3am his party was “not close to winning this”.

The result will be a setback for Sir Keir, who took over as Opposition leader from Jeremy Corbyn four months after the party’s disastrous 2019 general election performance with the promise of turning it back into a winning force.

It is likely to mean questions about the strategy he has pursued as leader over the past year, with traditional Labour voters seemingly continuing to turn away from the party in the wake of Brexit.

Prominent figures from the left wing of the party were quick to criticise the outcome and the approach taken.

Former shadow home secretary Diane Abbott tweeted: “Not possible to blame Jeremy Corbyn for this result. Labour won the seat twice under his leadership.

“Keir Starmer must think again about his strategy.”

What are leading Conservatives saying?

Conservative Party co-chair Amanda Milling said she is “absolutely delighted” by the result in Hartlepool and said the people in the town “wanted to see change”.

She told the BBC’s Today programme: “This was about change in terms of, for 57 years they’ve had a Labour member of Parliament, they’ve felt like they’ve been taken for granted for that period of time.

“In 2019, again we didn’t win that seat, Labour won the seat again, but you know since the general election we made the promise to the people across the country that we’d get Brexit done, we’ve done that.

“Bearing in mind the people of Hartlepool voted 69.5% to leave the European Union and we have delivered that for them.”

Did anything else interesting happen at the count?

The Northern Echo:

Members of Hartlepool’s business community have erected a 30-foot inflatable model of Boris Johnson outside the count for the town’s by-election.

The 20-strong group, known as the Hartlepool Wombles, said the 4am stunt was not a political statement but rather heralded a historic change in the town.

The inflatable Prime Minister, with thumbs aloft, cost around £2,000 and was one of several blow-up characters they have bought.

They erect the characters at different parts of the town to portray it in a good light.

One of the group, who asked not to be named, said: “We are doing this to mark a historic change in Hartlepool.

“I’m not particularly political, in fact I didn’t even vote.

“I think this shows Hartlepool in a positive light and the town has always had a quirky personality.”