The county of Durham has returned 7 MPs to the UK Parliament since 1983. Under the Local Government Act 1972, which came into effect on 1 April 1974, the boundaries of the historic/administrative county were significantly altered with the north-east of the county, comprising more than half the electorate, being transferred to the new metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear. In addition, the borough of Hartlepool was included in the new county of Cleveland. These changes were reflected in the following redistribution of parliamentary seats which did not come into effect until the 1983 general election, resulting in a reduction in the county's representation from 16 to 7 MPs.
Number of seats
The table below shows the number of MPs representing Durham at each major redistribution of seats affecting the county.
1Prior to 1950, seats were classified as County Divisions or Parliamentary Boroughs. Since 1950, they have been classified as County or Borough Constituencies.
2Approximate equivalent number of constituencies. Prior to the redistribution coming into effect for the 1983 general election, two constituencies were split between Durham and Tyne and Wear, one was split between Durham and Cleveland and four were wholly within the reconfigured county.
Constituencies timeline
1Part of the North Riding of Yorkshire from 1966 to 1974 (Teesside, Stockton)
2Renamed Hartlepool in 1974
Boundary reviews
Before 1832
As a county palatine, Durham had been unrepresented in the House of Commons until 1673, when the County of Durham and the Parliamentary Borough of Durham, both electing 2 MPs, were enfranchised by Act of Parliament.
1832
The Great Reform Act of 1832 radically changed the representation of the House of Commons, with the County being divided into the Northern and Southern Divisions, both returning 2 MPs. In addition, Sunderland (2 MPs), Gateshead and South Shields were created as Parliamentary Boroughs.
1868
Under the Reform Act of 1867, three additional single-member Boroughs were created, namely Darlington, The Hartlepools (Hartlepool and West Hartlepool) and Stockton-on-Tees (which also included the township of Thornaby in the North Riding of Yorkshire).
1885
Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, the two 2-member county divisions were replaced by eight single-member divisions, namely Chester-le-Street, Jarrow, Houghton-le-Spring, North-Western, Mid, South-Eastern, Bishop Auckland and Barnard Castle. The representation of the Borough of Durham was reduced to 1 MP.
1918
Under the Representation of the People Act 1918, the number of constituencies in Durham was increased further, from 16 to 18, which resulted in significant boundary changes.
The Parliamentary Borough of Durham was abolished and was absorbed into a new County seat which also included northern areas of the abolished constituency of Mid Durham (excluding Witton Gilbert which was transferred to Chester-le-Street). The town of Hetton-le-Hole was transferred from Houghton-le-Spring.
The North Western and South Eastern Divisions were both abolished and five new county seats were established:
Blaydon – largely created from the western part of Chester-le-Street, including Blaydon, Ryton and Whickham. Also included Tanfield, transferred from North West Durham; Consett – created from the bulk of North West Durham, including Annfield Plain, Benfieldside, Consett, Leadgate and Stanley; Seaham – created from the majority of South East Durham, including Easington and Seaham Harbour. The town of Seaham was transferred from Houghton-le-Spring; Sedgefield – majority, comprising Sedgefield, Billingham and rural areas surrounding the boroughs of Darlington, Stockton-on-Tees and The Hartlepools, was previously part of South East Durham. Also included small areas transferred from Mid Durham (Ferryhill) and Bishop Auckland; and Spennymoor – comprising Brandon and Willington from Mid Durham, Crook and Tow Law from Barnard Castle, and Spennymoor from Bishop Auckland.
Other changes included:
parts of Jarrow transferred to South Shields and Houghton-le-Spring (Boldon); rural areas in the south and west of North West Durham added to Barnard Castle; small rural area transferred from Barnard Castle to Bishop Auckland; and expansion of the boundaries of the boroughs of Darlington, Stockton-on-Tees (including Thornaby-on-Tees), Sunderland and The Hartlepools to match those of the corresponding local authority boroughs.
1950
As a result of the redistribution enacted by the Representation of the People Act 1948, Durham’s representation remained at 18 MPs.