North Durham (UK Parliament constituency)

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]}

North Durham
County constituency for the House of Commons
Boundaries since 2024
Boundary of North Durham in the North East England
County	County Durham
Electorate	73,226 (2024)
Major settlements	Stanley Chester-le-Street
Current constituency
Created	1983
Member of Parliament	Luke Akehurst (Labour)
Seats	One
Created from	Chester-le-Street Consett
1832–1885
Seats	Two
Type of constituency	County constituency
Created from	Durham
Replaced by	Jarrow Houghton-le-Spring Chester-le-Street Mid Durham North West Durham

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.^[1]

This seat was abolished by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 when the two divisions were replaced by eight single-member divisions.^[2] These were Barnard Castle, Bishop Auckland, Chester-le-Street, Houghton-le-Spring, Jarrow, Mid Durham, North West Durham and South East Durham.^[3] 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.^{[clarification needed]} 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.^[1]

See map on Vision of Britain website.^[4]

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.^[5]

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.^[6]

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.^[7]

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.^[8]

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.^[9]

Members of Parliament

MPs 1832–1885

Election	First member[10]		First party	Second member[10]		Second party
1832		Hedworth Lambton	Whig[11][12]		Sir Hedworth Williamson, Bt	Whig[11][13][14][15][16]
1837					Hon. Henry Liddell	Conservative[11]
1847		Robert Duncombe Shafto	Whig[17][18]		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

Election		Member[10]	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^[19][20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Luke Akehurst	16,562	39.8	−3.9
	Reform UK	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^[21]

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^[22]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Kevan Jones	25,917	59.9	+5.0
	Conservative	Laetitia Glossop[23]	12,978	30.0	+9.1
	UKIP	Kenneth Rollings[24]	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^[25]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Kevan Jones	22,047	54.9	+4.4
	Conservative	Laetitia Glossop[26]	8,403	20.9	−0.1
	UKIP	Malcolm Bint[27]	6,404	16.0	+12.7
	Liberal Democrats	Peter Maughan[28]	2,046	5.1	−15.9
	Green	Victoria Nolan[29]	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^[30][31][32]

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^[33]

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^[34]

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^[35]

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^[36][37]

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^[38]

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^[39]

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)^[40]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	George Elliot	5,548	53.1	+23.5
	Liberal	James Laing[41]	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)^[40]

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)^[40]

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)^[40]

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[42]	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)^[40]

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)^[40]

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[43]	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)^[40]

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)^[40]

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)^[40]

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^[40]

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)^[40]

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)^[40]

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)^[40]

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)^[40][11]

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)^[40][11]

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)^[40][11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	Hedworth Lambton	2,558	39.9
	Whig	Hedworth Williamson	2,182	34.0
	Tory	Edward Richmond-Gale-Braddyll[44]	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

• List of parliamentary constituencies in County Durham
• History of parliamentary constituencies and boundaries in Durham
• List of parliamentary constituencies in North East England (region)

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.