# North Durham (UK Parliament constituency)

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

## 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.
This seat was abolished by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 when the two divisions were replaced by eight single-member divisions. These were Barnard Castle, Bishop Auckland, Chester-le-Street, Houghton-le-Spring, Jarrow, Mid Durham, North West Durham and South East Durham. 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
### 1832–1885

* The Wards of Chester and Easington, with a place of election at Durham.
See map on Vision of Britain website.
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.

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

### 2010–2024

* 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.
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.
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.

## Members of Parliament
### MPs 1832–1885

| Election | First member | First member | First party | Second member | Second member | Second party |
| 1832 | | Hedworth Lambton | Whig | | Sir Hedworth Williamson, Bt | Whig |
| 1837 | | Hedworth Lambton | Whig | | Hon. Henry Liddell | Conservative |
| 1847 | | Robert Duncombe Shafto | Whig | | George Vane-Tempest | Conservative |
| 1854 by-election | | Robert Duncombe Shafto | Whig | | Lord Adolphus Vane-Tempest | Conservative |
| 1859 | | Robert Duncombe Shafto | Liberal | | Lord Adolphus Vane-Tempest | Conservative |
| 1864 by-election | | Robert Duncombe Shafto | Liberal | | Sir Hedworth Williamson, Bt | Liberal |
| 1868 | | George Elliot | Conservative | | Sir Hedworth Williamson, Bt | Liberal |
| 1874 | | Sir Lowthian Bell | Liberal | | Charles Palmer | Liberal |
| 1874 by-election | | Sir George Elliot, Bt | Conservative | | Charles Palmer | Liberal |
| 1880 | | John Joicey | Liberal | | Charles Palmer | Liberal |
| 1881 by-election | | Sir George Elliot, Bt | Conservative | | Charles Palmer | Liberal |
| 1885 | Redistribution of Seats Act: constituency abolished | Redistribution of Seats Act: constituency abolished | Redistribution of Seats Act: constituency abolished | Redistribution of Seats Act: constituency abolished | Redistribution of Seats Act: constituency abolished | Redistribution of Seats Act: constituency abolished |

### MPs since 1983

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1983 | Giles Radice | Labour |
| 2001 | Kevan Jones | Labour |
| 2024 | Luke Akehurst | Labour |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: North Durham :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 5,873 | 14.1 | +2.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,565 | 56.8 | −6.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 73,235 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −9.4 | |

### Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: North Durham :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 4,742 | 11.3 | −18.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,195 | 63.2 | −1.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −9.3 | |
General election 2017: North Durham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Kevan Jones | 25,917 | 59.9 | +5.0 |
| | Conservative | Laetitia Glossop | 12,978 | 30.0 | +9.1 |
| | UKIP | Kenneth Rollings | 2,408 | 5.6 | −10.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Craig Martin | 1,981 | 4.6 | −0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,939 | 29.9 | −4.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,284 | 64.6 | +3.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −2.0 | |
General election 2015: North Durham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Kevan Jones | 22,047 | 54.9 | +4.4 |
| | Conservative | Laetitia Glossop | 8,403 | 20.9 | −0.1 |
| | UKIP | Malcolm Bint | 6,404 | 16.0 | +12.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Maughan | 2,046 | 5.1 | −15.9 |
| | Green | Victoria Nolan | 1,246 | 3.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,644 | 34.0 | +4.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,146 | 61.4 | +0.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +2.3 | |
General election 2010: North Durham :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 12,076 | 29.5 | −15.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,967 | 60.6 | +5.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −8.9 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: North Durham :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 16,781 | 44.9 | −3.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,341 | 55.3 | −1.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −4.1 | |
General election 2001: North Durham :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 18,683 | 48.4 | −7.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,568 | 56.9 | −12.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: North Durham :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 26,299 | 55.8 | +20.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,168 | 69.2 | −6.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1992: Durham North :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 19,637 | 35.1 | +1.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 56,069 | 76.1 | +0.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Durham North :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 18,433 | 33.6 | +7.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,765 | 75.9 | +3.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.9 | |
General election 1983: Durham North :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 13,437 | 26.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,789 | 72.7 | |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |

### Elections in the 1880s

By-election, 7 September 1881: Durham North (1 seat) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Elliot | 5,548 | 53.1 | +23.5 |
| | Liberal | James Laing | 4,896 | 46.9 | −23.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 652 | 6.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,444 | 78.9 | −7.1 (est) |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,233 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +23.6 | |
General election 1880: Durham North (2 seats) :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 809 | 4.7 | +2.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,325 (est) | 86.0 (est) | +10.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,165 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1870s

By-election, 22 June 1874: Durham North (2 seats) :
| Party | 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 | Turnout | Turnout | 8,434 (est) | 78.4 | +3.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,760 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2 | 0.0 | −2.1 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +6.7 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 150 | 1.2 | N/A |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | −6.0 | |
* Caused by the 1874 election being declared void on petition.
General election 1874: Durham North (2 seats) :
| Party | 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 | 3,501 | 21.6 | +3.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 353 | 2.1 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,102 (est) | 75.3 (est) | −5.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,760 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | −3.4 | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −5.8 | |

### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1868: Durham North (2 seats) :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 827 | 6.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,566 (est) | 81.0 (est) | −1.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,576 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +4.2 | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −4.7 | |
General election 1865: Durham North (2 seats) :
| Party | 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 | 2,210 | 28.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 678 | 8.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,999 (est) | 82.7 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,042 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | N/A | |
By-election, 28 June 1864: Durham North (1 seat) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Hedworth Williamson | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative |
* Caused by Vane-Tempest's death.

### Elections in the 1850s

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

### Elections in the 1840s

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

### Elections in the 1830s

General election 1837: Durham North (2 seats) :
| Party | 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 | Turnout | Turnout | 4,282 | 82.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,170 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 35 | 0.5 |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 261 | 3.9 |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig |
General election 1835: Durham North (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Hedworth Lambton | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Hedworth Williamson | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,772 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1832: Durham North (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Hedworth Lambton | 2,558 | 39.9 |
| | Whig | Hedworth Williamson | 2,182 | 34.0 |
| | Tory | Edward Richmond-Gale-Braddyll | 1,676 | 26.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 506 | 7.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,841 | 90.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,267 | |
| | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) |
| | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) |