City of Durham

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.

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

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.

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).

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.

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.

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

Elections

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

Caused by the 1874 election being declared void on petition.

Caused by Davison's death.

Caused by Davison's appointment as Judge Advocate General of the Armed Forces.

Elections in the 1860s

Caused by Mowbray's appointment as Judge Advocate General of the Armed Forces

Caused by Atherton's death.

Caused by Atherton's appointment as Attorney General for England and Wales.

Caused by Atherton's appointment as Solicitor General for England and Wales.

Elections in the 1850s

Caused by Mowbray's appointment as Judge Advocate General of the Armed Forces.

Caused by the earlier by-election being declared void on petition due to bribery.

Caused by Granger's death.

Elections in the 1840s

Caused by the by-election being declared void on petition due to bribery by Hill-Trevor's agents.

Caused by FitzRoy's appointment as Governor of New Zealand

Elections in the 1830s

Caused by Gresley being unseated on petition.