BORIS Johnson will find out for the first time this week how the new ‘blue wall’ is holding up, whilst Sir Keir Starmer will face the first major ballot box test of his leadership as voters in Hartlepool elect their new MP.

It is a seat long held by Labour and the party fought off a strong Conservative and Brexit Party challenge at the 2019 general election, although their majority was reduced to just under 3,600, down from 7,650 in 2017.

But despite holding on to Hartlepool, the red wall across the north crumbled, handing Boris Johnson the keys to No 10, so the by-election will give an indication of whether Sir Keir has been able to reverse the process that has seen Labour’s heartlands disappear.

The contest was called after Mike Hill resigned as Hartlepool MP earlier this year, marking the first test of Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership since taking over from Jeremy Corbyn last year.

His resignation followed reports that he used taxpayers’ money to fight a staff member’s claim of unfair dismissal, sexual assault and harassment.

He was suspended by Labour in September 2019 over allegations he sexually harassed a woman, but had the whip restored to contest the general election two months later.

According to The Sunday Times, Mr Hill claimed £2,000 on parliamentary expenses for the excess on his employment liability policy as he looked to fight the allegations.

Seaton Carew Picture: SARAH CALDECOTT

Seaton Carew Picture: SARAH CALDECOTT

Bookmakers have made the Tories odd-on favourites to secure the seat, a rare feat for a governing party.

Bookmaker Coral has made the Tories odds-on favourites to win the by-election at 1-2, with Labour at 13-8 to retain the seat that was once held by Lord Peter Mandelson, a former cabinet minister and one of the architects of New Labour.

The bookies’ spokesman John Hill said: “Labour have won every election in Hartlepool since this seat was first contested in 1974, however, our betting suggests the Conservatives could break that stronghold in this by-election in what would be a huge blow for Keir Starmer.”

Bookmaker Coral has made the Tories odds-on favourites to win the by-election at 1-2, with Labour at 13-8 to retain the seat that was once held by Lord Peter Mandelson, a former cabinet minister and one of the architects of New Labour.

The bookies’ spokesman John Hill said: “Labour have won every election in Hartlepool since this seat was first contested in 1974, however, our betting suggests the Conservatives could break that stronghold in this by-election in what would be a huge blow for Keir Starmer.”

As in a general election, the first-past-the-post system is used – whoever gets the most votes wins the seat.

The election count will take place at the town's Mill House Leisure Centre after polls close at 10pm. Counting will take place overnight.

There will firstly be the verification process for all of the elections including Tees Valley Mayor, PCC, by-election and council elections. This is expected to take until about 1.30am on the Friday morning.

As soon as that is completed, the count for the Hartlepool Parliamentary By-Election will begin, and is estimated that the declaration of the by-election result is likely to occur no earlier than 4am.