North Durham (UK Parliament constituency)

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North Durham
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Boundaries since 2024
Map of constituency
Boundary of North Durham in the North East England
CountyCounty Durham
Electorate73,226 (2024)
Major settlements
Current constituency
Created1983
Member of ParliamentLuke Akehurst (Labour)
SeatsOne
Created fromChester-le-Street
Consett
1832–1885
SeatsTwo
Type of constituencyCounty constituency
Created fromDurham
Replaced byJarrow
Houghton-le-Spring
Chester-le-Street
Mid Durham
North West Durham

North Durham is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Luke Akehurst of the Labour Party.[n 2]

Constituency profile

North Durham is a constituency in County Durham in North East England. Its largest town is Chester-le-Street, which has a population of around 24,000.[1] Other settlements include the town of Stanley and the villages of Ouston, Pelton, Great Lumley, Sacriston, Annfield Plain, Catchgate and Lanchester.

This area has a history of coal mining. The decline of the industry in the late 20th century left the area with high rates of unemployment, and the constituency still has high levels of deprivation today. Chester-le-Street is more affluent, however Stanley and its nearby villages are amongst the top 10% most-deprived areas in England.[2] Chester-le-Street and Stanley largely function as commuter towns; the cities of Sunderland and Newcastle upon Tyne are both located around 10 miles (16 km) away. The constituency's average house price is less than half the UK average.[3]

North Durham has a large retired population and a below-average proportion of working-age adults.[4] Residents have low levels of education, average rates of homeownership and are more likely to be religious compared to the rest of the country. Household income is low and the child poverty rate is above average.[3][5] A high proportion of residents work in the health, manufacturing and transport sectors, with few in professional occupations.[6] The percentage claiming unemployment benefits is below average.[5] White people made up 98% of residents at the 2021 census.[7]

Most of the constituency is represented by Reform UK at the local council with some independent councillors elected in Chester-le-Street. An estimated 58% of voters in North Durham supported leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum, higher than the UK-wide figure of 52%.[3]

History

A constituency formally named the Northern Division of Durham was created by the Great Reform Act for the 1832 general election, when the former Durham constituency was split into the northern and southern divisions, each electing two members using the bloc vote system.[8]

This seat was abolished by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 when the two divisions were replaced by eight single-member divisions.[9] These were Barnard Castle, Bishop Auckland, Chester-le-Street, Houghton-le-Spring, Jarrow, Mid Durham, North West Durham and South East Durham.[10] In addition, there were seven County Durham borough constituencies.

The seat was re-created as a single-seat constituency for the 1983 general election as a result of the redistribution following the changes to local authority boundaries under the Local Government Act 1972. The new constituency comprised those parts of the abolished Chester-le-Street constituency retained within the reconstituted county of Durham, together with those parts of the abolished Consett constituency which had comprised the urban district of Stanley.

Boundaries

From 1832–1868 and this area was left intact until 1885. Extract from 1837 result: the shorter solid orange area which has an east coast.

1832–1885

  • The Wards of Chester and Easington, with a place of election at Durham.[8]

See map on Vision of Britain website.[11]

Included non-resident 40 shilling freeholders in the parliamentary boroughs of Durham, Gateshead, South Shields and Sunderland.

1983–1997

  • The District of Chester-le-Street; and
  • the District of Derwentside wards of Annfield Plain, Burnopfield, Catchgate, Craghead, Dipton, Havannah, South Moor, South Stanley, Stanley Hall, and Tanfield.[12]

1997–2010

  • The District of Chester-le-Street; and
  • the District of Derwentside wards of Annfield Plain, Catchgate, Craghead, Havannah, South Moor, South Stanley, Stanley Hall, and Tanfield.[13]

Burnopfield and Dipton wards were transferred to the redrawn North West Durham.

2010–2024

Map of 2010–2024 boundaries
  • The District of Chester-le-Street; and
  • the District of Derwentside wards of Annfield Plain, Catchgate, Craghead and South Stanley, Havannah, South Moor, Stanley Hall, and Tanfield.[14]

The 1997 boundaries were retained despite the official description of the constituency changing slightly in terms of the names of the local authority wards.

2024–present

Further to the 2023 periodic review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, from the 2024 general election, the constituency is composed of the following electoral divisions of the County of Durham (as they existed on 1 December 2020):

  • Annfield Plain; Chester-le-Street East; Chester-le-Street North; Chester-le-Street South; Chester-le-Street West Central; Craghead and South Moor; Lanchester; Lumley; North Lodge; Pelton; Sacriston; Stanley; Tanfield.[15]

The constituency was expanded to bring the electorate within the permitted range, by adding the Lanchester ward from the abolished constituency of North West Durham.

The constituency spans the north of County Durham in North East England. It includes the whole of the former Chester-le-Street district and the eastern part of the former Derwentside district. The main population centres (large settlements) are Chester-le-Street, Stanley and Sacriston. The constituency includes the North of England Open Air Museum at Beamish.[16]

Members of Parliament

MPs 1832–1885

ElectionFirst member[17] First party Second member[17] Second party
1832 Hedworth Lambton Whig[18][19] Sir Hedworth Williamson, Bt Whig[18][20][21][22][23]
1837 Hon. Henry Liddell Conservative[18]
1847 Robert Duncombe Shafto Whig[24][25] George Vane-Tempest Conservative
1854 by-election Lord Adolphus Vane-Tempest Conservative
1859 Liberal
1864 by-election Sir Hedworth Williamson, Bt Liberal
1868 George Elliot Conservative
1874 Sir Lowthian Bell Liberal Charles Palmer Liberal
1874 by-election Sir George Elliot, Bt Conservative
1880 John Joicey Liberal
1881 by-election Sir George Elliot, Bt Conservative
1885 Redistribution of Seats Act: constituency abolished

MPs since 1983

ElectionMember[17] Party
1983 Giles Radice Labour
2001 Kevan Jones Labour
2024 Luke Akehurst Labour

Elections

Election results 1983–2024

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: North Durham[26][27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Luke Akehurst 16,562 39.8 −3.9
Reform Andrew Husband 10,689 25.7 +15.0
Conservative George Carter 6,492 15.6 −18.8
Liberal Democrats Craig Martin 4,208 10.1 +3.7
Green Sunny Moon-Schott 2,366 5.7 +3.1
Workers Party Chris Bradburn 928 2.2 N/A
SDP Tom Chittenden 320 0.8 N/A
Majority 5,873 14.1 +2.8
Turnout 41,565 56.8 −6.4
Registered electors 73,235
Labour hold Swing −9.4

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: North Durham[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Kevan Jones 18,639 44.2 −15.7
Conservative Edward Parson 13,897 32.9 +2.9
Brexit Party Peter Telford 4,693 11.1 New
Liberal Democrats Craig Martin 2,879 6.8 +2.2
Green Derek Morse 1,126 2.7 New
Independent Ken Rollings 961 2.3 New
Majority 4,742 11.3 −18.6
Turnout 42,195 63.2 −1.4
Labour hold Swing −9.3
General election 2017: North Durham[29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Kevan Jones 25,917 59.9 +5.0
Conservative Laetitia Glossop[30] 12,978 30.0 +9.1
UKIP Kenneth Rollings[31] 2,408 5.6 −10.4
Liberal Democrats Craig Martin 1,981 4.6 −0.5
Majority 12,939 29.9 −4.1
Turnout 43,284 64.6 +3.2
Labour hold Swing −2.0
General election 2015: North Durham[32]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Kevan Jones 22,047 54.9 +4.4
Conservative Laetitia Glossop[33] 8,403 20.9 −0.1
UKIP Malcolm Bint[34] 6,404 16.0 +12.7
Liberal Democrats Peter Maughan[35] 2,046 5.1 −15.9
Green Victoria Nolan[36] 1,246 3.1 New
Majority 13,644 34.0 +4.5
Turnout 40,146 61.4 +0.8
Labour hold Swing +2.3
General election 2010: North Durham[37][38][39]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Kevan Jones 20,698 50.5 −13.6
Conservative David Skelton 8,622 21.0 +4.2
Liberal Democrats Ian Lindley 8,617 21.0 +1.9
BNP Peter Molloy 1,686 4.1 New
UKIP Bruce Reid 1,344 3.3 New
Majority 12,076 29.5 −15.4
Turnout 40,967 60.6 +5.3
Labour hold Swing −8.9

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: North Durham[40]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Kevan Jones 23,932 64.1 −3.1
Liberal Democrats Philip Latham 7,151 19.2 +5.2
Conservative Mark Watson 6,258 16.8 −2.0
Majority 16,781 44.9 −3.5
Turnout 37,341 55.3 −1.6
Labour hold Swing −4.1
General election 2001: North Durham[41]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Kevan Jones 25,920 67.2 −3.1
Conservative Matthew R. Palmer 7,237 18.8 +4.3
Liberal Democrats Carole A. Field 5,411 14.0 +2.9
Majority 18,683 48.4 −7.4
Turnout 38,568 56.9 −12.3
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: North Durham[42]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Giles Radice 33,142 70.3 +10.4
Conservative Mark T. Hardy 6,843 14.5 −10.3
Liberal Democrats Brian D. Moore 5,225 11.1 −4.2
Referendum Ian A. C. Parkin 1,958 4.2 New
Majority 26,299 55.8 +20.7
Turnout 47,168 69.2 −6.9
Labour hold Swing
General election 1992: Durham North[43][44]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Giles Radice 33,567 59.9 +3.7
Conservative Elizabeth A. Sibley 13,930 24.8 +3.6
Liberal Democrats Philip J. Appleby 8,572 15.3 −7.3
Majority 19,637 35.1 +1.5
Turnout 56,069 76.1 +0.2
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Durham North[45]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Giles Radice 30,798 56.2 +5.2
SDP Derek Jeary 12,365 22.6 −2.4
Conservative Nicholas Gibbon 11,602 21.2 −2.8
Majority 18,433 33.6 +7.6
Turnout 54,765 75.9 +3.2
Labour hold Swing +3.9
General election 1983: Durham North[46]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Giles Radice 26,404 51.0
Liberal David Howarth 12,967 25.0
Conservative Andrew Popat 12,418 24.0
Majority 13,437 26.0
Turnout 51,789 72.7
Labour win (new seat)

Elections in the 1880s

By-election, 7 September 1881: Durham North (1 seat)[47]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Elliot 5,548 53.1 +23.5
Liberal James Laing[48] 4,896 46.9 −23.6
Majority 652 6.2 N/A
Turnout 10,444 78.9 −7.1 (est)
Registered electors 13,233
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +23.6
General election 1880: Durham North (2 seats)[47]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Joicey 6,233 36.2 +9.3
Liberal Charles Palmer 5,901 34.3 +7.7
Conservative George Elliot 5,092 29.6 +4.8
Majority 809 4.7 +2.8
Turnout 11,325 (est) 86.0 (est) +10.7
Registered electors 13,165
Liberal hold Swing
Liberal hold Swing

Elections in the 1870s

By-election, 22 June 1874: Durham North (2 seats)[47]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Charles Palmer 4,256 33.7 +7.0
Conservative George Elliot 4,254 33.7 −12.7
Liberal Lowthian Bell 4,104 32.5 +5.6
Turnout 8,434 (est) 78.4 +3.1
Registered electors 10,760
Majority 2 0.0 −2.1
Liberal hold Swing +6.7
Majority 150 1.2 N/A
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing −6.0
  • Caused by the 1874 election being declared void on petition.
General election 1874: Durham North (2 seats)[47]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Lowthian Bell 4,364 26.9 −3.7
Liberal Charles Palmer 4,327 26.7 −5.4
Conservative George Elliot 4,011 24.8 +6.2
Conservative Richard Laurence Pemberton[49] 3,501 21.6 +3.0
Majority 353 2.1 N/A
Turnout 8,102 (est) 75.3 (est) −5.7
Registered electors 10,760
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing −3.4
Liberal hold Swing −5.8

Elections in the 1860s

General election 1868: Durham North (2 seats)[47]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Elliot 4,649 37.2 +8.8
Liberal Hedworth Williamson 4,011 32.1 −5.0
Liberal Lowthian Bell 3,822 30.6 −3.9
Majority 827 6.6 N/A
Turnout 8,566 (est) 81.0 (est) −1.7
Registered electors 10,576
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +4.2
Liberal hold Swing −4.7
General election 1865: Durham North (2 seats)[47]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Hedworth Williamson 2,888 37.1 N/A
Liberal Robert Duncombe Shafto 2,689 34.5 N/A
Conservative George Barrington[50] 2,210 28.4 N/A
Majority 678 8.7 N/A
Turnout 4,999 (est) 82.7 (est) N/A
Registered electors 6,042
Liberal hold Swing N/A
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing N/A
By-election, 28 June 1864: Durham North (1 seat)[47]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Hedworth Williamson Unopposed
Liberal gain from Conservative
  • Caused by Vane-Tempest's death.

Elections in the 1850s

General election 1859: Durham North (2 seats)[47]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Robert Duncombe Shafto Unopposed
Conservative Adolphus Vane-Tempest Unopposed
Registered electors 5,863
Liberal hold
Conservative hold
General election 1857: Durham North (2 seats)[47]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Robert Duncombe Shafto Unopposed
Conservative Adolphus Vane-Tempest Unopposed
Registered electors 5,847
Whig hold
Conservative hold
By-election, 1 April 1854: Durham North[47]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Adolphus Vane Unopposed
Conservative hold
  • Caused by Vane-Tempest's succession to the peerage, becoming Earl Vane
General election 1852: Durham North (2 seats)[47]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Robert Duncombe Shafto Unopposed
Conservative George Vane-Tempest Unopposed
Registered electors 6,631
Whig hold
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1840s

General election 1847: Durham North (2 seats)[47]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Robert Duncombe Shafto Unopposed
Conservative George Vane-Tempest Unopposed
Registered electors 6,472
Whig hold
Conservative hold
General election 1841: Durham North (2 seats)[47]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Hedworth Lambton Unopposed
Conservative Henry Liddell Unopposed
Registered electors 5,824
Whig hold
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1837: Durham North (2 seats)[47][18]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Hedworth Lambton 2,358 35.0
Conservative Henry Liddell 2,323 34.5
Whig William Chaytor 2,062 30.6
Turnout 4,282 82.8
Registered electors 5,170
Majority 35 0.5
Whig hold
Majority 261 3.9
Conservative gain from Whig
General election 1835: Durham North (2 seats)[47][18]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Hedworth Lambton Unopposed
Whig Hedworth Williamson Unopposed
Registered electors 4,772
Whig hold
Whig hold
General election 1832: Durham North (2 seats)[47][18]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Hedworth Lambton 2,558 39.9
Whig Hedworth Williamson 2,182 34.0
Tory Edward Richmond-Gale-Braddyll[51] 1,676 26.1
Majority 506 7.9
Turnout 3,841 90.0
Registered electors 4,267
Whig win (new seat)
Whig win (new seat)

See also

Notes

  1. A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.

References

  1. "Chester-le-Street". citypopulation.de. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
  2. "Constituency data: Deprivation in England". commonslibrary.parliament.uk. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
  3. "Seat Details - Durham North". electoralcalculus.co.uk. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
  4. "Constituency data: Population, by age". commonslibrary.parliament.uk. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
  5. "Constituency dashboard". House of Commons Library. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
  6. "Constituency data: businesses and industries". commonslibrary.parliament.uk. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
  7. "2021 census results: Ethnic groups in your constituency". commonslibrary.parliament.uk. 4 July 2024. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
  8. "The statutes of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. 2 & 3 William IV. Cap. LXIV. An Act to settle and describe the Divisions of Counties, and the Limits of Cities and Boroughs, in England and Wales, in so far as respects the Election of Members to serve in Parliament". London: His Majesty's statute and law printers. 1832. p. 304. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  9. "Redistribution of Seats Act 1885". Proprietors of the Law Journal Reports. pp. 156–157.
  10. "Redistribution of Seats Act 1885". Proprietors of the Law Journal Reports. pp. 156–157.
  11. "HMSO Boundary Commission Report 1832 Durham County".
  12. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983" (PDF). p. 23.
  13. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". In the County of Durham.
  14. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". In Durham and Darlington.
  15. "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 4 North East region.
  16. "OpenStreetMap". OpenStreetMap.
  17. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "D" (part 4)
  18. Stooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844-1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 97. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
  19. Richardson, M. A. (1844). The Local Historian's Table Book, of Remarkable Occurrences, Historical Facts, Traditions, Legendary and Descriptive Ballads &c, &c, Connected With the Counties of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, and Durham. London: J. R. Smith. p. 373. Retrieved 9 April 2019 – via Google Books.
  20. Escott, Margaret (2009). Fisher, D. R. (ed.). "WILLIAMSON, Sir Hedworth, 7th bt. (1797–1861), of Whitburn Hall, nr. Sunderland, co. Dur". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
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  41. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  42. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
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  46. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
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