North Durham is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Luke Akehurst of the Labour Party.
Constituency profile North Durham is a constituency in County Durham in North East England. Its largest town is Chester-le-Street, which has a population of around 24,000. Other settlements include the town of Stanley and the villages of Ouston, Pelton, Great Lumley, Sacriston, Annfield Plain, Catchgate and Lanchester.
This area has a history of coal mining. The decline of the industry in the late 20th century left the area with high rates of unemployment, and the constituency still has high levels of deprivation today. Chester-le-Street is more affluent, however Stanley and its nearby villages are amongst the top 10% most-deprived areas in England. Chester-le-Street and Stanley largely function as commuter towns; the cities of Sunderland and Newcastle upon Tyne are both located around away. The constituency's average house price is less than half the UK average.
North Durham has a large retired population and a below-average proportion of working-age adults. Residents have low levels of education, average rates of homeownership and are more likely to be religious compared to the rest of the country. Household income is low and the child poverty rate is above average. A high proportion of residents work in the health, manufacturing and transport sectors, with few in professional occupations. The percentage claiming unemployment benefits is below average. White people made up 98% of residents at the 2021 census.
Most of the constituency is represented by Reform UK at the local council with some independent councillors elected in Chester-le-Street. An estimated 58% of voters in North Durham supported leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum, higher than the UK-wide figure of 52%.
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
Historic
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. Following a review of parliamentary representation in County Durham in 2007, the Boundary Commission for England decided to retain the 1997 boundaries 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.
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):
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.
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:
Annfield Plain and Tanfield; Chester-le-Street North; Chester-le-Street South; Consett South (small part comprising the parish of Healeyfield); Craghead and South Moor; Lanchester and Burnhope; Lumley and West Rainton (most - including Great Lumley); North Lodge; Pelton; Sacriston and Witton Gilbert (most - including Sacriston); Stanley; Weardale (very small part comprising the parish of Muggleswick).
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 ElectionFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond party 1832 Hedworth Lambton Whig Sir Hedworth Williamson, Bt Whig 1837 Hon. Henry Liddell Conservative 1847 Robert Duncombe Shafto Whig 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 ElectionMemberParty 1983 Giles Radice Labour 2001 Kevan Jones Labour 2024 Luke Akehurst 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 1880s
Elections in the 1870s
Caused by the 1874 election being declared void on petition.
Elections in the 1860s
Caused by Vane-Tempest's death.
Elections in the 1850s
Caused by Vane-Tempest's succession to the peerage, becoming Earl Vane
Elections in the 1840s
Elections in the 1830s
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
References
External links North Durham UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK North Durham UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK North Durham UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK