# North West Durham (UK Parliament constituency)

North West Durham was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament.
The seat was abolished for the 2024 general election and replaced by parts of four new constituencies.

## Constituency profile

The constituency was in the northwest of County Durham, in the North East England region. It consisted of the western part of the former Derwentside district (including Consett and Lanchester) and the northern part of the former Wear Valley district (including Weardale, Crook, and Willington).
The majority of the electorate lived in former mining or steel towns, where Labour traditionally have polled higher than other parties, with the remainder being in rural farms and villages throughout valleys cleft from the eastern, rocky part of the Pennines.

## History
### 1885–1918

The constituency was first created for the 1885 general election by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 as one of eight new single-member divisions of the county of Durham, replacing the two 2-member seats of North Durham and South Durham. It was centred on two main communities, Consett and Lanchester.
It was abolished in 1918 with the creation of Consett as a separate constituency. Lanchester was transferred to an enlarged Barnard Castle seat and Tanfield was added to the new constituency of Blaydon.

### 1950–2024

On its recreation under the Representation of the People Act 1948, North-West Durham absorbed the abolished Spennymoor seat, with the exception of the town of Spennymoor itself (which was added in 1974). It also regained Lanchester, together with Weardale, from the now abolished Barnard Castle.
As a result of the periodic review of parliamentary constituencies following the re-organisation of local government under the Local Government Act 1972, the seat underwent a major redistribution for the 1983 general election: the town of Consett was regained from the abolished constituency thereof, and Brandon and Spennymoor were transferred to City of Durham and Sedgefield respectively. The boundaries were now similar to the first version of the constituency.

## Boundaries
### 1885–1918

* The Sessional Division of Lanchester and Consett; and
* the Parishes of Edmondbyers and Hunstanworth
See map on Vision of Britain website. (NB Boundary Commission proposed name was "Lanchester")

### 1950–1974

* The Urban Districts of Brandon and Byshottles, Crook and Willington, and Tow Law; and
* the Rural Districts of Lanchester and Weardale.

### 1974–1983

* The Urban Districts of Brandon and Byshottles, Crook and Willington, Spennymoor, and Tow Law;
* the Rural Districts of Lanchester and Weardale; and
* the parish of Brancepeth in the Rural District of Durham.
Spennymoor transferred from Durham with the parish of Brancepeth.

### 1983–1997

* The District of Derwentside wards of Benfieldside, Blackhill, Burnhope, Castleside, Consett North, Consett South, Cornsay, Crookhall, Delves Lane, Ebchester and Medomsley, Esh, Lanchester, and Leadgate; and
* the District of Wear Valley wards of Crook North, Crook South, Howden, Hunwick, St John's Chapel, Stanhope, Stanley, Tow Law, Wheatbottom and Helmington Row, Willington East, Willington West, and Wolsingham.
Gained area comprising former urban district of Consett (incorporating Benfieldside, Consett and Leadgate). Brandon and Byshottles, and Brancepeth transferred to City of Durham, and Spennymoor to Sedgefield.

### 1997–2010

* The District of Derwentside wards of Benfieldside, Blackhill, Burnhope, Burnopfield, Castleside, Consett North, Consett South, Cornsay, Crookhall, Delves Lane, Dipton, Ebchester and Medomsley, Esh, Lanchester, and Leadgate; and
* the District of Wear Valley wards of Crook North, Crook South, Howden, Hunwick, St John's Chapel, Stanhope, Stanley, Tow Law, Wheatbottom and Helmington Row, Willington East, Willington West, and Wolsingham.
The Derwentside District wards of Burnopfield and Dipton transferred from North Durham.

### 2010–2024

* The District of Derwentside wards of Benfieldside, Blackhill, Burnhope, Burnopfield, Castleside, Consett East, Consett North, Consett South, Cornsay, Delves Lane, Dipton, Ebchester and Medomsley, Esh, Lanchester, and Leadgate; and
* the District of Wear Valley wards of Crook North, Crook South, Howden, Hunwick, St John's Chapel, Stanhope, Tow Law and Stanley, Wheatbottom and Helmington Row, Willington Central, Willington West End, Wolsingham, and Witton-le-Wear.
The 1997 boundaries were retained despite the official description of the constituency changing slightly in terms of the names of the local authority wards.
In the 2009 structural changes to local government in England, the local authority districts in Durham were abolished and replaced with a single unitary authority; however, this did not affect the boundaries of the constituency.

## Abolition

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished for the 2024 general election, with its contents distributed four ways:
* Northern-most parts, including Consett and Leadgate, comprising just under half the electorate, to the new constituency of Blaydon and Consett
* Crook, Tow Law and Weardale to Bishop Auckland
* Esh, Willington and Hunwick to City of Durham
* Lanchester to North Durham

## Political history
### 1885–1918

During the first creation, Liberals represented the area and the first member until 1914 was the son of a prominent Chartist, Ernest Jones, who helped to promote New Liberalism, encouraging the Liberal Party to take on instead the politics of "mass working-class" appeal. This politics was epitomised by David Lloyd George whose People's Budget in 1909 led to the supremacy of the House of Commons over the House of Lords in 1911, national pensions under a basic welfare state (but without a National Health Service).

### 1950–2024

From its recreation in 1950 until December 2019, the seat had been represented in Westminster by members of the Labour Party. For many years the area gave large majorities suggesting a safe seat for Labour.
Both the future Conservative Party leader and Prime Minister, Theresa May, and the future Liberal Democrat leader, Tim Farron, were candidates for their respective parties at this seat for the 1992 general election, which both of them lost to incumbent Labour MP Hilary Armstrong.
In 2016 the incumbent MP, Pat Glass, announced her intention to step down at the 2017 general election in the wake of the Brexit referendum. Her successor Laura Pidcock, a close supporter of party leader Jeremy Corbyn, lost the seat in the 2019 general election to Richard Holden, as part of the Conservative Party's strategy to target seats in the so-called red wall.

## Members of Parliament
### MPs 1885–1918

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1885 | Llewellyn Atherley-Jones | Liberal |
| 1914 | Aneurin Williams | Liberal |
| 1918 | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished |

### MPs 1950–2024

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| 1950 | 1950 | Constituency recreated | Constituency recreated |
| | 1950 | James Murray | Labour |
| | 1955 | William Ainsley | Labour |
| | 1964 | Ernest Armstrong | Labour |
| | 1987 | Hilary Armstrong | Labour |
| | 2010 | Pat Glass | Labour |
| | 2017 | Laura Pidcock | Labour |
| | 2019 | Richard Holden | Conservative |
| | 2024 | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished |

## Election results 1950-2019
### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: North West Durham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | James Murray | 31,084 | 69.67 |
| | Conservative | James Quigley | 13,530 | 30.33 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,554 | 39.34 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,614 | 86.52 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election 1951: North West Durham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | James Murray | 30,417 | 68.66 |
| | Conservative | James Quigley | 13,885 | 31.34 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,532 | 37.32 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,302 | 85.06 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election 1955: North West Durham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | William Ainsley | 27,116 | 67.41 |
| | Conservative | Thomas T Hubble | 13,110 | 32.59 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14,006 | 34.82 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,226 | 79.05 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election 1959: North West Durham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | William Ainsley | 28,064 | 68.06 |
| | Conservative | Olive Sinclair | 13,172 | 31.94 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14,892 | 36.12 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,236 | 81.45 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: North West Durham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Ernest Armstrong | 26,006 | 69.75 |
| | Conservative | Kenneth L Ellis | 11,280 | 30.25 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14,726 | 39.50 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,286 | 77.98 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election 1966: :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Ernest Armstrong | 25,260 | 73.58 |
| | Conservative | Colin MacAndrew | 9,070 | 26.42 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,190 | 47.16 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,330 | 73.37 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: North West Durham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ernest Armstrong | 24,245 | 69.6 | −4.0 |
| | Conservative | Alan E Page | 10,590 | 30.4 | +4.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,655 | 39.2 | −8.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,834 | 72.8 | −0.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election February 1974: North West Durham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Ernest Armstrong | 28,326 | 59.01 |
| | Conservative | J Riddell | 10,865 | 22.64 |
| | Liberal | JK Forster | 8,809 | 18.35 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,461 | 36.37 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,999 | 79.09 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election October 1974: North West Durham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Ernest Armstrong | 27,953 | 64.16 |
| | Conservative | MJB Cookson | 9,197 | 21.11 |
| | Liberal | JK Forster | 6,418 | 14.73 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 18,756 | 43.05 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,566 | 71.09 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election 1979: North West Durham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Ernest Armstrong | 29,525 | 61.30 |
| | Conservative | T Fenwick | 14,245 | 29.58 |
| | Liberal | J Hannibell | 4,394 | 9.12 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15,280 | 31.72 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,161 | 75.98 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1983: North West Durham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Ernest Armstrong | 19,135 | 44.6 |
| | Conservative | Terence Middleton | 12,779 | 29.8 |
| | Liberal | Chris Foote Wood | 11,008 | 25.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,356 | 14.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,923 | 70.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election 1987: North West Durham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Hilary Armstrong | 22,947 | 50.9 | +6.3 |
| | Conservative | Derek Iceton | 12,785 | 28.4 | −1.4 |
| | Liberal | Chris Foote Wood | 9,349 | 20.7 | −4.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,162 | 22.5 | +7.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 45,081 | 73.5 | −2.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.9 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1992: North West Durham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Hilary Armstrong | 26,734 | 57.8 | +6.9 |
| | Conservative | Theresa May | 12,747 | 27.6 | −0.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tim Farron | 6,728 | 14.6 | −6.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,987 | 30.2 | +7.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,209 | 75.5 | +2.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.4 | |
General election 1997: North West Durham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Hilary Armstrong | 31,855 | 68.8 | +10.7 |
| | Conservative | Louise St John-Howe | 7,101 | 15.3 | −12.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anthony Gillings | 4,991 | 10.8 | −3.9 |
| | Referendum | Rodney Atkinson | 2,372 | 5.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 24,754 | 53.5 | +23.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,319 | 68.7 | −6.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +11.4 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2001: North West Durham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Hilary Armstrong | 24,526 | 62.5 | −6.3 |
| | Conservative | William Clouston | 8,193 | 20.9 | +5.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alan Ord | 5,846 | 14.9 | +4.1 |
| | Socialist Labour | Joan Hartnell | 661 | 1.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,333 | 41.6 | −11.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,226 | 58.5 | −10.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -5.9 | |
General election 2005: North West Durham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Hilary Armstrong | 21,312 | 53.9 | −8.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alan Ord | 7,869 | 19.9 | +5.0 |
| | Conservative | Jamie Devlin | 6,463 | 16.4 | −4.5 |
| | Independent | Watts Stelling | 3,865 | 9.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,443 | 34.0 | −7.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,509 | 58.0 | −0.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −6.8 | |

### Elections in the 2010s

General election 2010: North West Durham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Pat Glass | 18,539 | 42.3 | −11.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Owen Temple | 10,927 | 24.9 | +5.0 |
| | Conservative | Michelle Tempest | 8,766 | 20.0 | +3.6 |
| | Independent | Watts Stelling | 2,472 | 5.6 | −4.2 |
| | BNP | Michael Stewart | 1,852 | 4.2 | New |
| | UKIP | Andrew McDonald | 1,259 | 2.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,612 | 17.4 | −16.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,815 | 62.0 | +4.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -8.3 | |
General election 2015: North West Durham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Pat Glass | 20,074 | 46.9 | +4.6 |
| | Conservative | Charlotte Haitham-Taylor | 10,018 | 23.4 | +3.4 |
| | UKIP | Bruce Reid | 7,265 | 17.0 | +14.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Owen Temple | 3,894 | 9.1 | −15.8 |
| | Green | Mark Shilcock | 1,567 | 3.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,056 | 23.5 | +6.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,818 | 61.3 | −0.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +0.6 | |
General election 2017: North West Durham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Laura Pidcock | 25,308 | 52.8 | 5.9 |
| | Conservative | Sally-Ann Hart | 16,516 | 34.5 | 11.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Owen Temple | 3,398 | 7.1 | 2.0 |
| | UKIP | Alan Breeze | 2,150 | 4.5 | 12.5 |
| | Green | Dominic Horsman | 530 | 1.1 | 2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,792 | 18.3 | 5.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,902 | 66.5 | 5.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 2.6 | |
General election 2019: North West Durham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Richard Holden | 19,990 | 41.9 | 7.4 |
| | Labour | Laura Pidcock | 18,846 | 39.5 | 13.3 |
| | Brexit Party | John Wolstenholme | 3,193 | 6.7 | New |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Peacock | 2,831 | 5.9 | 1.2 |
| | Independent | Watts Stelling | 1,216 | 2.6 | New |
| | Green | David Sewell | 1,173 | 2.5 | 1.4 |
| | Independent | David Lindsay | 414 | 0.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,144 | 2.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,663 | 66.0 | 0.5 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | 10.4 | |

## Election results 1885-1918
### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: North West Durham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Llewellyn Atherley-Jones | 5,081 | 62.2 | |
| | Conservative | Arthur Bootle-Wilbraham | 3,085 | 37.8 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,996 | 24.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,166 | 85.6 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,543 | | |
| | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) |
General election 1886: North West Durham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Llewellyn Atherley-Jones | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: North West Durham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Llewellyn Atherley-Jones | 5,121 | 63.9 | N/A |
| | Liberal Unionist | John D Dunville | 2,891 | 36.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,230 | 27.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,012 | 77.6 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,330 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1895: North West Durham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Llewellyn Atherley-Jones | 5,428 | 58.4 | −5.5 |
| | Conservative | J. Joicey | 3,869 | 41.6 | +5.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,559 | 16.8 | −11.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,297 | 81.9 | +4.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,346 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −5.5 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: North West Durham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Llewellyn Atherley-Jones | 5,158 | 50.1 | −8.3 |
| | Conservative | J. Joicey | 5,137 | 49.9 | +8.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 21 | 0.2 | −16.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,295 | 75.0 | −6.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,725 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −8.3 | |
General election 1906: North West Durham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Llewellyn Atherley-Jones | 9,146 | 69.6 | +19.5 |
| | Conservative | Robert Filmer | 3,999 | 30.4 | −19.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,147 | 39.2 | +39.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,145 | 80.2 | +5.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 16,384 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +19.5 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: North West Durham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Llewellyn Atherley-Jones | 10,497 | 66.8 | −2.8 |
| | Conservative | J.L. Knott | 5,227 | 33.2 | +2.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,270 | 33.6 | −5.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,724 | 85.6 | +5.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 18,361 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −2.8 | |
General election December 1910: North West Durham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Llewellyn Atherley-Jones | 8,998 | 65.1 | −1.7 |
| | Conservative | James Ogden Hardicker | 4,827 | 34.9 | +1.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,171 | 30.2 | −3.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,825 | 75.3 | −10.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 18,361 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −1.7 | |
1914 North West Durham by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Aneurin Williams | 7,241 | 40.6 | −14.5 |
| | Unionist | James Ogden Hardicker | 5,564 | 31.2 | −3.7 |
| | Labour | G. H. Stuart-Bunning | 5,026 | 28.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,677 | 9.4 | −20.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,831 | 88.1 | +12.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 20,233 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −5.4 | |