Jill Mortimer was elected as the Conservative MP for Hartlepool in a May 2021 by-election, gaining the seat from Labour with a majority of 6,940.
Hartlepool is a coastal constituency to the North of the River Tees, and was for many years represented in Parliament by the Labour Cabinet Minister, Peter Mandelson. Prior to the 2021 by-election it had been held by Labour continuously since 1964. The constituency was one of the highest supporting Brexit areas in the UK with 69.6% backing Leave in the 2016 referendum, and some 10,603 voters supporting the Brexit Party in the 2019 General Election.
Before being elected to Parliament, Jill Mortimer served as a District Councillor on Hambleton council in North Yorkshire. She described herself a farmer from Thirsk on her election website, but has committed to move to Hartlepool following her election victory.
Mortimer studied law at Teeside University as a mature student. She has three children from her first marriage.
