City of Durham is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by Mary Kelly Foy of the Labour Party.
Constituency profile The constituency contains a large minority of students, researchers and academics at the early 19th century founded University of Durham, that has a claim towards being the third oldest in England and has elected Labour MPs since 1935, although there have been strong SDP–Liberal Alliance and Liberal Democrat challenges to Labour since the 1980s.
The constituency includes a number of surrounding villages and suburbs as well as Durham itself, the largest of these are Brandon, Bowburn, Esh Winning, Framwellgate Moor, Sherburn, Ushaw Moor and Willington. The seat extends as far west as Satley and as far east as Shadforth.
The seat has traditionally been dominated by Labour, with support particularly strong in those villages historically connected to County Durham's mining industry. Durham is famous as an educational centre, for Durham University and the feepaying preparatory school, Chorister School where Tony Blair was educated. The city centre is more inclined to the Liberal Democrats. Like many other university cities such as Cambridge and Oxford, in the 2005 election it swung strongly towards the Liberal Democrats, one possible reason being these cities' sizeable student population who were viewed as being hostile to Labour's policies on areas such as top-up fees and the Iraq War. The Liberal Democrats were able to reduce Labour's majority by over 10,000 votes, although they were still unable to gain the seat from Labour, as was the case in the 2010 election. As reflected in throughout the country, the Liberal Democrat vote collapsed in the 2015 election.
History
The parliamentary borough (1678–1918) The City of Durham was first given the right to return Members to Parliament by the Durham (Representation of) Act 1672 (25 Cha. 2. c. 9), although the first election was not held until 1678 due to drafting errors. It was the last new borough but one to be enfranchised before the Great Reform Act 1832. It was the only borough in County Durham, the county also having been unrepresented until the same act of Parliament also created two MPs for the county. Both constituencies were frequently referred to simply as Durham, which can make for some confusion.
The constituency as constituted in 1678 consisted only of the city of Durham itself, though this included its suburbs which were within the municipal boundary. The right to vote was held by the corporation and the freemen of the city, many of whom were not resident within the boundaries. Unlike the situation in many small rotten boroughs, the corporation had no jurisdiction over the creation of freemen: freemen were generally created by connection with companies of trade, either by apprenticeship or by birth (by being the son of an existing freeman), though the common council of the city had a power to create honorary freemen.
The creation of honorary freemen with the specific intention of swaying elections was a common abuse in a number of boroughs in the 18th century, and at the Durham election of 1762 became sufficiently controversial to force a change in the law. The election was disputed because 215 new freemen, most of them not resident in the city, had been made after the writ for the election was issued. The existing freemen petitioned against this dilution of their voting rights, the candidate who had been declared elected was unseated by the Commons committee which heard the case, and the following year the Freemen (Admission) Act 1763 (3 Geo. 3. c. 15) was passed to prevent any honorary freeman from voting in a borough election within twelve months of their being accorded that status.
Through having a freeman franchise the electorate was comparatively numerous for the period, though comprising only a small fraction of the city's population; at the time of the Reform Act 1832 there were between 1,100 and 1,200 freemen in total, of whom 427 were resident and 558 lived within seven miles, while the total population of the borough was 9,269. The Lambton and Tempest families were influential, and were generally able to secure election, but fell far short of the sort of control common in pocket boroughs.
The city retained both its MPs under the Reform Act 1832, with its boundaries adjusted only very slightly, although as elsewhere the franchise was reformed. The Reform Act 1867 extended the boundaries to include part of Framwellgate parish which had previously been excluded. Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, the borough's representation was reduced from the 1885 general election to a single MP. In the boundary changes of 1918, the borough was abolished, but a division of County Durham was named after the city.
County constituency (since 1918) From 1918, Durham City was included in a county constituency officially called The Durham Division of (County) Durham, consisting of the central part of the county. In the 1983 boundary changes, the constituency officially acquired the unambiguous City of Durham name for the first time and its boundaries were realigned to match the new City of Durham local government district.
Boundaries
Historic
1918–1950 the Borough of Durham the Urban District of Hetton the Rural District of Durham except the parish of Brancepeth in the Rural District of Houghton-le-Spring, the parishes of East Rainton, Great Eppleton, Little Eppleton, Moor House, Moorsley, and West Rainton. As well as absorbing the abolished parliamentary borough, the reconstituted seat included Hetton-le-Hole and surrounding rural areas, transferred from Houghton-le-Spring, and northern areas of the abolished Mid Division of Durham.
1950–1974 the Borough of Durham the Urban Districts of Hetton and Spennymoor the Rural District of Durham. Spennymoor and the parish of Brancepeth transferred in from the abolished constituency of Spennymoor. Other minor changes (the Rural District of Houghton-le-Spring had been abolished and absorbed into neighbouring local authorities).
1974–1983 the Borough of Durham and Framwelgate the Rural District of Sedgefield and the Rural District of Durham except the parish of Brancepeth. Hetton transferred back to Houghton-le-Spring, and Spennymoor and Brancepeth now included in Durham North West. Gained the Rural District of Sedgefield from the abolished constituency of Sedgefield.
1983–2024
The City of Durham. Sedgefield returned to the re-established constituency thereof. Gained the area comprising the former Urban District of Brandon and Byshottles which had been absorbed into the District of the City of Durham, previously part of North West Durham.
Following reviews of parliamentary representation in County Durham in 1995 and 2007, the Boundary Commission for England made no changes to the City of Durham constituency. 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.
Current Further to the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the constituency was defined as composing the following electoral divisions of County Durham ( as they existed on 1 December 2020): Belmont; Brandon; Deerness; Durham South; Elvet and Gilesgate; Esh and Witton Gilbert; Framwellgate and Newton Hall; Neville's Cross; Sherburn; and Willington and Hunwick. Coxhoe was transferred to the new constituency of Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor, offset by gains from the abolished constituency of North West Durham, including the communities of Esh and Willington. Further to a local government boundary review which came into effect in May 2025, the constituency now comprises the following electoral divisions of County Durham:
Belmont; Brandon; Deerness; Easington and Shotton (small part); Elvet, Gilesgate and Shincliffe; Framwellgate and Newton Hall; Langley and Esh; Lumley and West Rainton (small part - including West Rainton); Neville's Cross; Pittington and Sherburn; Sacriston and Witton Gilbert (small part - including Witton Gilbert); Willington and Hunwick (nearly all).
Members of Parliament
Durham City (borough) Constituency created 1678
MPs 1678–1885
YearFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond party 1678 Sir Ralph Cole John Parkhurst February 1679 William Tempest September 1679 William Blakiston Sir Richard Lloyd 1681 William Tempest 1685 Charles Montagu 1689 George Morland Henry Liddell 1690 William Tempest 1695 Charles Montagu Henry Liddell 1698 Thomas Conyers Tory 1701 Sir Henry Belasyse 1702 Thomas Conyers Tory 1708 James Nicolson 1710 Sir Henry Belasyse Tory 1712 Robert Shafto Tory 1713 George Baker Tory 1722 Charles Talbot Whig 1727 Robert Shafto Tory 1730 John Shafto Tory 1734 Henry Lambton Whig 1742 John Tempest 1761 Ralph GowlandOn petition, Gowland's election was declared void and his opponent, Lambton, was seated in his place 1762 Major General John Lambton 1768 John Tempest Tory 1787 William Henry Lambton Whig 1794 Sir Henry Vane-Tempest Tory 1798 Ralph John Lambton Whig 1800 Michael Angelo Taylor Whig 1802 Richard WhartonWharton was unseated on petition for illegal practices during the election Tory 1804 Robert Eden Duncombe Shafto 1806 Richard Wharton Tory 1813 George Allan Tory 1818 Michael Angelo Taylor Whig 1820 Sir Henry Hardinge Tory 1830 Sir Roger GresleyOn petition, Gresley's election was declared void and a by-election was held ToryMarch 1831 William Chaytor WhigMay 1831 Hon. Arthur Trevor Tory 1832 William Charles Harland Whig 1835 Hon. Arthur Trevor Conservative 1841 Thomas Colpitts Granger Radical Robert FitzRoy ConservativeApril 1843 The Viscount DungannonDungannon's election at the by-election of April 1843 was declared void on petition and a new election held ConservativeJuly 1843 John Bright Radical/Anti-Corn Law 1847 Henry John Spearman WhigJuly 1852 William AthertonSir William Atherton from 1861 RadicalDecember 1852 Lord Adolphus VaneVane's election at the by-election of December 1852 was declared void on petition and a new election held Conservative 1853 John Mowbray Conservative 1859Liberal 1864 John Henderson Liberal 1868 John Robert Davison Liberal 1871 John Lloyd Wharton ConservativeFebruary 1874 Thomas Charles Thompson LiberalJune 1874Henderson and Wharton were re-elected at the general election of 1874, but the election was declared void on petition, and neither stood in the ensuing by-election Farrer Herschell Liberal Sir Arthur Middleton Liberal 1880 Thomas Charles Thompson Liberal1885 Representation reduced to one member
MPs 1885–1918
ElectionMemberParty 1885 Thomas Milvain Conservative 1892 Matthew Fowler Liberal 1898 by-election Arthur Elliot Liberal Unionist 1906 John Hills Liberal Unionist 1918Parliamentary borough abolished
Durham, Durham/City of Durham (county constituency)
MPs since 1918 YearMemberParty 1918 John Hills Conservative 1922 Joshua Ritson Labour 1931 William McKeag Liberal 1935 Joshua Ritson Labour 1945 Charles Grey Labour 1970 Mark Hughes Labour 1987 Gerry Steinberg Labour 2005 Roberta Blackman-Woods Labour 2019 Mary Foy Labour
Elections
Elections in the 2020s
Elections in the 2010s
Elections in the 2000s
Elections in the 1990s
Elections in the 1980s
Elections in the 1970s
Elections in the 1960s
Elections in the 1950s
Election in the 1940s
Elections in the 1930s
Elections in the 1920s
Elections in the 1910s
Elections in the 1900s
Elections in the 1890s
Caused by Fowler's death.
These are the final 1895 results after a recount. The original result was Fowler with 1,111 votes, and Elliot with 1,110 votes, leaving a Liberal majority of just one vote.
Elections in the 1880s
Caused by Herschell's appointment as Solicitor General for England and Wales
Elections in the 1870s