List of parliamentary constituencies in County Durham
The unitary authorities of Durham and Borough of Darlington are combined for the purpose of parliamentary constituency boundaries, being divided into 7 Parliamentary constituencies– 1 borough constituency and 6 county constituencies. Since the 2019 general election, 4 parliamentary seats are controlled by the Conservative Party and 3 by the Labour Party. Between 1992 and 2019, all 7 seats were held by the Labour Party. With the exception of Darlington, all seats or their predecessors had returned Labour MPs since 1935, Sedgefield having been Conservative from 1931 to 1935.
Constituencies
| Constituency[nb 1] | Electorate[1] | Majority[2][nb 2] | Member of Parliament[2] | Nearest opposition[2] | Electoral wards[3][4] | Map | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bishop Auckland CC | 68,170 | 7,962 | bgcolor="Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Dehenna Davison† | bgcolor="Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Helen Goodman‡ | Durham County Council: Barnard Castle East, Barnard Castle North, Barnard Castle West, Bishop Auckland Town, Barningham and Ovington, Byerley, Cockfield, Cockton Hill, Cotherstone with Lartington, Coundon, Dene Valley, Eggleston, Escomb, Etherley, Evenwood, Gainford and Winston, Greta, Hamsterley and South Bedburn, Henknowle, Ingleton, Lynesack, Low Spennymoor and Tudhoe Grange, Middlestone, Middleton-in-Teesdale, Ramshaw and Lands, Romaldkirk, Spennymoor, Startforth, Streatlam and Whorlton, Sunnydale, Thickley, Tudhoe, West Auckland, Woodhouse Close. |  |
| City of Durham CC | 71,271 | 5,025 | bgcolor="Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Mary Foy‡ | bgcolor="Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | | William Morgan† | Durham County Council: Bearpark and Witton Gilbert, Belmont, Brancepeth, Langley Moor and Meadowfield, Brandon, Carrville and Gilesgate Moor, Cassop-cum-Quarrington, Coxhoe, Crossgate and Framwelgate, Deerness, Elvet, Framwellgate Moor, Neville’s Cross, New Brancepeth and Ushaw Moor, Newton Hall North, Newton Hall South, Pelaw and Gilesgate, Pittington and West Rainton, St Nicholas, Shadforth and Sherburn, Shincliffe. |  |
| Darlington BC | 66,397 | 3,294 | bgcolor="Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Peter Gibson† | bgcolor="Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Jenny Chapman‡ | Darlington Borough Council: Bank Top, Central, Cockerton East, Cockerton West, College, Eastbourne, Faverdale, Harrowgate Hill, Haughton East, Haughton North, Haughton West, Hummersknott, Lascelles, Lingfield, Mowden, Northgate, North Road, Park East, Park West, Pierremont. |  |
| Easington CC | 61,182 | 6,581 | bgcolor="Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Grahame Morris‡ | bgcolor="Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Clare Ambrosino† | Durham County Council: Acre Rigg, Blackhalls, Dawdon, Dene House, Deneside, Easington Colliery, Easington Village and South Hetton, Eden Hill, Haswell and Shotton, Horden North, Horden South, Howletch, Hutton Henry, Murton East, Murton West, Passfield,
Seaham Harbour, Seaham North. |
 |
| North Durham CC | 66,796 | 4,742 | bgcolor="Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Kevan Jones‡ | bgcolor="Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Ed Parson† | Durham County Council: Annfield Plain, Bournmoor, Catchgate, Chester Central, Chester East, Chester North, Chester South, Chester West, Craghead and South Stanley, Edmondsley and Waldridge, Grange Villa and West Pelton, Havannah, Kimblesworth and Plawsworth, Lumley, North Lodge, Ouston, Pelton, Pelton Fell, Sacriston, South Moor, Stanley Hall, Tanfield, Urpeth. |  |
| North West Durham CC | 72,166 | 1,144 | bgcolor="Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Richard Holden† | bgcolor="Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Laura Pidcock‡ | Durham County Council: Benfieldside, Blackhill, Burnhope, Burnopfield, Castleside, Consett East, Consett North, Consett South, Cornsay, Crook North, Crook South, Delves Lane, Dipton, Ebchester and Medomsley, Esh, Howden, Hunwick, Lanchester, Leadgate, St John’s Chapel, Stanhope, Tow Law and Stanley, Wheatbottom and Helmington Row, Willington Central, Willington West End, Wolsingham and Witton-le-Wear. |  |
| Sedgefield CC | 64,325 | 4,513 | bgcolor="Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Paul Howell† | bgcolor="Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Phil Wilson‡ | Durham County Council: Bishop Middleham and Cornforth, Broom, Chilton, Ferryhill, Fishburn and Old Trimdon, Greenfield Middridge, Neville and Simpasture, New Trimdon and Trimdon Grange, Sedgefield, Shafto St Marys, Thornley and Wheatley Hill, West, Wingate, Woodham. Darlington Borough Council: Heighington and Coniscliffe, Hurworth, Middleton St George, Sadberge and Whessoe. |  |
Boundary changes
The Boundary Commission for England decided to retain these 7 constituencies for the 2010 election, with minor changes to realign constituency boundaries with the boundaries of current local government wards, and to reduce electoral disparity.
| Name | Pre-2010 Boundaries | Post-2010 Boundaries |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
Proposed boundary changes
The Boundary Commission for England submitted their final proposals in respect of the Sixth Periodic Review of Westminster Constituencies (the 2018 review) in September 2018. Although the proposals were immediately laid before Parliament they were not brought forward by the Government for approval. Accordingly, they did not come into effect for the 2019 election which took place on 12 December 2019, and which was contested using the constituency boundaries in place since 2010.
Under the terms of the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011, the Sixth Review was based on reducing the total number of MPs from 650 to 600 and a strict electoral parity requirement that the electorate of all constituencies should be within a range of 5% either side of the electoral quota.
On 24 March 2020, the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office, Chloe Smith, issued a written statement to Parliament setting out the Government's thinking with regard to parliamentary boundaries. They propose to bring forward primary legislation to remove the statutory obligation to implement the 2018 Boundary Review recommendations, as well as set the framework for future boundary reviews in time for the next review which is due to begin in early 2021 and report no later than October 2023. It is proposed that the number of constituencies now remains at the current level of 650, rather than being reduced to 600, while retaining the requirement that the electorate should be no more than +/- 5% from the electoral quota.[5]
Results history
Primary data source: House of Commons research briefing - General election results from 1918 to 2019[6]
2019
The number of votes cast for each political party who fielded candidates in constituencies comprising Durham in the 2019 general election were as follows:
| Party | Votes | % | Change from 2017 | Seats | Change from 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 123,112 | 40.6% |  5.3%
|
4 | 4
|
| Labour | 122,547 | 40.4% |  14.2%
|
3 | 4
|
| Brexit | 25,444 | 8.4% | new | 0 | 0 |
| Liberal Democrats | 21,356 | 7.0% | 2.5%
|
0 | 0 |
| Greens | 5,985 | 2.0% | 1.0%
|
0 | 0 |
| Others | 4,725 | 1.6% | 3.0%
|
0 | 0 |
| Total | 303,169 | 100.0 | 7 |
Percentage votes
| Election year | 1983 | 1987 | 1992 | 1997 | 2001 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 30.4 | 28.3 | 28.4 | 17.6 | 20.6 | 16.6 | 21.4 | 25.4 | 35.3 | 40.6 |
| Labour | 45.5 | 52.0 | 57.1 | 68.5 | 62.7 | 56.3 | 45.3 | 48.5 | 54.6 | 40.4 |
| Liberal Democrat1 | 23.9 | 19.7 | 14.2 | 9.7 | 14.2 | 21.3 | 24.1 | 6.0 | 4.5 | 7.0 |
| Green Party | - | * | * | * | * | * | - | 3.7 | 1.0 | 2.0 |
| UKIP | - | - | - | * | * | * | 3.1 | 15.7 | 3.4 | * |
| Brexit Party | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8.4 |
| Other | 0.1 | - | 0.3 | 4.2 | 2.5 | 5.8 | 6.2 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 1.6 |
11983 & 1987 - SDP-Liberal Alliance
* Included in Other
Seats
| Election year | 1983 | 1987 | 1992 | 1997 | 2001 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Labour | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 |
| Total | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
Maps
-
1983 -
1987
-
1992 -
1997 -
2001
-
2005
-
2010 -
2015
-
2017
-
2019
Historical results by party
A cell marked → (with a different colour background to the preceding cell) indicates that the previous MP continued to sit under a new party name.
1885 to 1918
Conservative Independent Conservative Independent Labour Labour Liberal Liberal-Labour Liberal Unionist
1victor in January 1910, Christopher Furness, declared void. Fresh by-election held June 1910, won by Stephen Furness.
1918 to 1950
Coalition Liberal (1918-22) / National Liberal (1922-23) Conservative Labour Independent Group (1949) / Independent Labour (1949-50) Labour Liberal National Labour National Liberal (1931-68)
1950 to 1983
Conservative Labour Social Democratic
1983 to present
See also
- List of Parliamentary constituencies in Cleveland for Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees.
- List of Parliamentary constituencies in the North East (region)
Notes
References
- ^ Baker, Carl; Uberoi, Elise; Cracknell, Richard (28 January 2020). "General Election 2019: full results and analysis".
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ a b c "Constituencies A-Z - Election 2019". BBC News. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
- ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007, page 4". Office of Public Sector Information. Crown copyright. 13 June 2007. Retrieved 7 November 2009.
- ^ Boundary Commission for England pp. 1004–1007
- ^ "Update: Strengthening Democracy:Written statement - HCWS183". UK Parliament. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
- ^ Watson, Christopher; Uberoi, Elise; Loft, Philip (17 April 2020). "General election results from 1918 to 2019".
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