Under theReform 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 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]
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 ofSedgefield.
The seat has been held by all three major parties in its long existence, but has been amarginal constituency between theLabour andConservative parties in the years since theSecond World War. Labour held the seat for 27 years from1992 with their candidateJenny Chapman winning the seat in2010 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 2019 general election ConservativePeter 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 thefirst past the post system of election at least every five years.
^Craig, Fred W. S. (1972).Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1885–1972;. Chichester: Political Reference Publications. pp. 11, 59, 129.ISBN0-900178-09-4.OCLC539011.
^"Archived copy"(PDF).Archived(PDF) from the original on 15 November 2019. Retrieved15 November 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
_001.jpg)
