North West Durham (UK Parliament constituency) facts for kids

North West Durham was a special area in the United Kingdom that elected one person to represent its people in the UK Parliament. Think of it like a team sending one player to a big game. This area was called a "constituency."

This constituency was officially closed down for the 2024 general election. Its parts were then added to four new constituencies.

Where Was North West Durham?

This constituency was located in the northwest part of County Durham, which is in the North East England region. It included towns like Consett, Lanchester, Crook, and Willington.

Many people living in this area used to work in mining or steel. These towns traditionally supported the Labour Party. Other parts of the area were rural farms and villages. These were found in valleys within the eastern, rocky part of the Pennines mountains.

A Look Back: History of the Constituency

North West Durham had two main periods of existence. It was created, then stopped, and then created again.

First Time Around: 1885–1918

The North West Durham constituency first started for the 1885 general election. It was one of eight new areas in County Durham. Before this, there were two larger areas called North Durham and South Durham. This new constituency was mainly around Consett and Lanchester.

It was closed down in 1918. At that time, Consett became its own separate constituency. Lanchester was moved to a larger area called Barnard Castle. Also, Tanfield was added to a new constituency called Blaydon.

Second Time Around: 1950–2024

North West Durham was brought back for the 1950 general election. It took in most of the area from the old Spennymoor seat. However, the town of Spennymoor itself was not included until 1974. It also got Lanchester and Weardale back from the now-closed Barnard Castle area.

Over time, the boundaries of the constituency changed a few times. For example, in 1983, Consett was added back to North West Durham. But other towns like Brandon and Spennymoor were moved to different constituencies. By 1983, the boundaries were quite similar to how they were when the constituency first started.

In 2009, the local government in Durham changed. All the smaller districts became one big unitary authority. But this change did not affect the boundaries of the North West Durham constituency.

Why Was North West Durham Abolished?

After a big review of all the parliamentary areas in the UK, North West Durham was officially closed down for the 2024 general election. Its area was split up and given to four different new constituencies:

• The northern parts, including Consett and Leadgate, became part of the new Blaydon and Consett constituency. This was almost half of the voters.
• Crook, Tow Law, and Weardale joined the Bishop Auckland constituency.
• Esh, Willington, and Hunwick became part of the City of Durham constituency.
• Lanchester was moved to the North Durham constituency.

People Who Represented North West Durham

These are the Members of Parliament (MPs) who represented North West Durham in the House of Commons. An MP is a person elected to speak for the people in their area.

MPs 1885–1918

MPs 1950–2024

Images for kids

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  Outline map of the North West Durham constituency.

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  Llewellyn Atherley-Jones, an early MP for North West Durham.

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  Aneurin Williams, who became an MP in 1914.

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  Another image of Llewellyn Atherley-Jones.

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  A graph showing election results over time for North West Durham.