Darlington is the parliamentary constituency for the eponymous market town in County Durham in the North East of England. It is currently represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament by Lola McEvoy of the Labour Party, who was first elected in 2024.[n 1]
The constituency was created for the 1868 election.[2]
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]
See map on Vision of Britain website.[5]
1885–1918
As defined in 1868 with minor amendments.[6]
1918–1983
The County Borough of Darlington.[7]
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.
2010–2024
Map of boundaries 2010–2024
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]
The Borough of Darlington wards of: 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 was expanded slightly to bring the electorate within the permitted range, by adding the rural ward of Heighington & Coniscliffe from the 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 before being defeated himself in 2024 by Lola McEvoy of Labour by a margin of 2,298
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.
References
^"The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – North East". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
^ ab"Representation of the People Act 1867" (PDF). p. 22. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 July 2021. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
^"Redistribution of Seats Act 1885". Proprietors of the Law Journal Reports. p. 129.
^Craig, Fred W. S. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1885–1972;. Chichester: Political Reference Publications. pp. 11, 59, 129. ISBN 0-900178-09-4. OCLC 539011.
^"The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983" (PDF). p. 24.
^"The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". In the County of Durham.
^"The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". In Durham and Darlington.
^"The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 4 North East region.
^Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "D" (part 1)
^"Statement of Persons Nominated, Notice of Poll and Situation of Polling Stations" (PDF). Darlington Borough Council. 7 June 2024. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
^"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)
^"UK Parliamentary (General) Election – 12 December 2019 results". Darlington Borough Council. 13 December 2019. Archived from the original on 13 December 2019. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
^Sam Howarth [@SamHowarth1991] (23 April 2017). "Great to be at @JennyChapman #GE2017 launch in a sunny South Park today – let's win again in Darlington! 🌹" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
^"Watkins back for third go at Tooting. Macleod battles Cracknell for Brentford & Isleworth. Latest candidate news. – Conservative Home". conservativehome.com. 26 April 2017. Archived from the original on 9 April 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
^"Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
^"Conservatives announce Parliamentary candidate for Darlington". The Northern Echo. 17 August 2014. Archived from the original on 21 April 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
^"Darlington UKIP candidate pledges to stop "appalling waste" of UK resources". The Northern Echo. 28 January 2015. Archived from the original on 21 April 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
^"Liberal Democrats announce their Darlington candidate for the General Election (From the Northern Echo)". Archived from the original on 15 February 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
^"Greens name election candidates". The Northern Echo. 15 January 2015. Archived from the original on 21 April 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
^"TUSC parliamentary candidates in May 2015" (PDF). Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition. 4 February 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 February 2015.
^"Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
^"BBC NEWS – Election 2010 – Darlington". BBC News. Archived from the original on 4 September 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2010.
^"Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^ ab"UK Parliamentary (General) Election Results 2001 to 2010". Darlington Borough Council. Archived from the original on 19 December 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
^"Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Darlington [Archive]". www.politicsresources.net. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
^"Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
^"Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^ abcCraig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
^"H K Spark's Candidature". Durham Chronicle. 17 July 1868. p. 7. Retrieved 6 February 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.