The constituency was created for the
1868 election;[2] it covers the market town of
Darlington in County Durham.
Constituency profile
The constituency is tightly drawn around the Darlington urban boundary, and is slightly less wealthy and more deprived than the UK average figures.[3]
Boundaries
1868–1885
Under the
Reform Act 1867, the proposed contents of the new parliamentary borough were defined as the townships of Darlington, Haughton-le-Skerne, and Cockerton.[2] However, this was amended under the Boundary Act 1868, with the boundary defined as being coterminous with the Municipal Borough of Darlington.[4]
The boundaries were adjusted in 1918, 1950 and 1973 to reflect changes to the boundaries of the county borough.
1983–2010
The Borough of Darlington wards of Bank Top, Central, Cockerton East, Cockerton West, college, Eastbourne North, Eastbourne South, Harrowgate Hill, Haughton East, Haughton West, Hummersknott, Lascelles, Lingfield, Mowden, Northgate North, Northgate South, North Road, Park East, Park West, and Pierremont.[8][9]
No change to boundaries.
2010–2015
Map of present boundaries
The Borough of Darlington wards of Bank Top, Central, Cockerton East, Cockerton West, College, Eastbourne, Faverdale, Harrowgate Hill, Haughton East, Haughton North, Haughton West, Hummersknott, Lascelles, Lingfield, Mowden, Northgate, North Road, Park East, Park West, and Pierremont.[10]
Minor change to reflect new ward boundaries.
2015–present
The Borough of Darlington wards of Bank Top and Lascelles, Brinkburn and Faverdale, Cockerton, College, Eastbourne, Harrowgate Hill, Haughton and Springfield, Hummersknott, Mowden, Northgate, North Road, Park East, Park West, Pierremont, Red Hall and Lingfield, Stephenson, and Whinfield.
Following a further change to the ward boundaries of Darlington Borough in 2015, the contents of the seat are currently as above. No change to boundaries.
Proposed
Further to the
2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, from the
next general election, due by January 2025, the constituency will be composed of the following wards of the Borough of Darlington (as they existed on 1 December 2020):
Bank Top & Lascelles; Brinkburn & Faverdale; Cockerton; College; Eastbourne; Harrowgate Hill; Haughton & Springfield; Heighington & Coniscliffe; Hummersknott; Mowden; North Road; Northgate; Park East; Park West; Pierremont; Red Hall & Lingfield; Stephenson; Whinfield.[11]
The constituency will be expanded slightly to bring the electorate within the permitted range, by adding the rural ward of Heighington & Coniscliffe from the (to be abolished) constituency of
Sedgefield.
Political history
The seat has been held by all three major parties in its long existence, but has been a
marginal constituency between the
Labour and
Conservative parties in the years since the
Second World War. Labour held the seat for 27 years from
1992 with their candidate
Jenny Chapman winning the seat in
2010 with a 3,388 majority down from 10,404 in the previous election. In 2015, her majority over the Conservatives fell to 3,158. In the
UK General election 2019 Conservative
Peter Gibson defeated Chapman with a 3,294 majority.
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
^As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the
first past the post system of election at least every five years.
^"Archived copy"(PDF).
Archived(PDF) from the original on 15 November 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.{{
cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
link)