Alex Cunningham was first elected as Labour Party MP for Stockton North in 2010, being reelected in 2019 with a majority of 1,027 over the Conservatives.
The constituency of Stockton north is found on the Western side of Cleveland, to the north of the River Tees. It contains the centre of the town of Stockton, alongside Billingham, Wolviston, Port Clarence, and Thorpe Thewles. The chemical company ICI has a big factory in this seat at Billingham. Although a traditional Labour area, the Conservatives have been polling better here in recent years, allied to the 66% of the electorate who backed Brexit in the 2016 EU referendum. In 2019, it was though one part of the Red Wall, that didn’t quite topple.
Cunningham was appointed Shadow Minister for Courts in 2020.
He has announced that he plans to stand down from Westminster at the next general election.
James Cleverly s***hole row
In a session of prime minister’s questions in November 2023, home secretary James Cleverly was heard uttering an “unparliamentary” word from a sedentary position on the frontbench in response to a question from Cunningham.
The comment came after the Labour MP for Stockton North asked PM Rishi Sunak why 34 per cent of children in his constituency were living in poverty.
Cleverly subsequently denied the claim he called Alex Cunningham’s Stockton North constituency a “s***hole”.
A source close to Cleverly said the home secretary did not call Stockton a “s***hole”, as the accusation held — he instead said that Cunningham was a “s*** MP”.
The source added: “He would never criticise Stockton. He is clear it is a great place”.
Writing subsequently for politics.co.uk, Cunningham said: “I could never have expected the off the cuff response from the home secretary, who I heard using a four letter word to describe my constituency”.
He added:
If it wasn’t absurd, it would be laughable when he then claimed he was applying the word to me — not the constituency. Well, that would be all right then — as many have said tongue in cheek.
But just as he lied first off, this latest utterance was also shown to be far from the truth. Millions of people have engaged with this and with a handful of exceptions they know what he said.
Cunningham said in a subsequent point of order: “It is extremely sad that the home secretary hasn’t the guts to admit his appalling remark made about my Stockton North constituency from the front bench and apologise to the people I have the privilege of representing”.
‘S***hole’ row: Labour MP Alex Cunningham unhappy with James Cleverly’s ‘apology’
Career
Born in 1955, Alex Cunningham started his career as a journalist at the Darlington and Stockton Times. He later worked for the Hartlepool Mail, Radio Tees and the Evening Gazette, before moving into Communications with British Gas and Transco. He later set up his own public relations and web design business.
Cunningham voted for Keir Starmer in the 2020 Labour Leadership election, backed Owen Smith in his 2016 challenged to Jeremy Corbyn, and supported Andy Burnham in the 2015 contest.
He served on Stockton Borough Council between 1999 and 2010. He was also a member of the One North East regional development agency board and a non executive director of the North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust.
He is Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health, and has led campaigns against smoking in cars.
Alex Cunningham is Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage, and an Officer of the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Bioethanol.
He is married with two adult sons.
Email: alex.cunningham.mp@parliament.uk
Personal Website: https://www.alexcunninghammp.com
Twitter: @ACunninghamMP
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/acunninghammp
