Bishop Auckland is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by Dehenna Davison, a Conservative.
Constituency profile
Formed in 1885, the seat has the market town Bishop Auckland which has a mixed modern and historic high street, the similarly sized Barnard Castle and large areas used for agriculture, particularly hill farming on the rolling landscape that cuts into the Pennines with substantial livestock.
Most housing, many small towns and most facilities were built in the prosperous era of coal mining which brought thousands of workers to live in Bishop Auckland town and neighbouring settlements.
Manufacturing, including food processing and packaging, public sector employment, retail and agriculture are the main employers.
Within the seat are Auckland Castle and Park, Lartington Hall, Windlestone Hall, Raby Castle, Binchester Roman Fort (Vinovia), The Bowes Museum, and enclosures and industrial workings on Cockfield Fell.
History of modern results
thumb|300px|Results for Bishop Auckland since 1997 as to any party/person who won more than 5% of the vote.
From 1935 to 2017 inclusive, the seat's voters returned MPs from the Labour Party; the former Labour Chancellor of the Exchequer Hugh Dalton, was the MP for Bishop Auckland from 1929 to 1931, and after regaining the seat in 1935, remained an MP until 1959.
The 2019 result returned a Conservative; the party's results had shown an increase from election to election from 1997 onwards.
Boundaries
1885–1918: Part of the Sessional Division of Bishop Auckland.
1918–1950: The Urban Districts of Bishop Auckland and Shildon, and part of the Rural District of Auckland.
1950–1955: The Urban Districts of Barnard Castle, Bishop Auckland, and Shildon, and the Rural District of Barnard Castle.
1955–1974: The Urban Districts of Barnard Castle and Bishop Auckland, the Urban District of Shildon except the part of the Middridge ward transferred to the Rural District of Darlington by the County of Durham (Parish of Great Aycliffe) Confirmation Order 1952, and the Rural District of Barnard Castle.
1974–1983: The Urban Districts of Barnard Castle, Bishop Auckland, and Shildon, and the Rural Districts of Barnard Castle and Darlington.
1983–1997: The District of Wear Valley wards of Bishop Auckland Town, Cockton Hill, Coundon, Coundon Grange, Escomb, Henknowle, St Helen's, West Auckland, and Woodhouse Close, the District of Teesdale, and the District of Sedgefield wards of Byerley, Middridge, Neville, Shafto, Simpasture, Sunnydale, Thickley, West, and Woodham.
1997–2010: The District of Wear Valley wards of Bishop Auckland Town, Cockton Hill, Coundon, Coundon Grange, Escomb, Henknowle, St Helen's, West Auckland, and Woodhouse Close, the District of Teesdale, and the District of Sedgefield wards of Byerley, Low Spennymoor and Tudhoe Grange, Middlestone, Spennymoor, Sunnydale, Thickley, and Tudhoe.
2010–present: The District of Wear Valley wards of Bishop Auckland Town, Cockton Hill, Coundon, Shildon and Dene Valley, Escomb, Henknowle, West Auckland, and Woodhouse Close, the District of Teesdale, and the District of Sedgefield wards of Byerley, Low Spennymoor and Tudhoe Grange, Middlestone, Spennymoor, Sunnydale, Thickley, and Tudhoe.
The constituency is located in an upland, southern part of County Durham in the North East of England.
On a more local level it was formed of the whole of the former Teesdale district, parts of former Wear Valley district and the former Sedgefield borough.
The constituency includes as its major settlements the towns of Barnard Castle, Middleton-in-Teesdale, Bishop Auckland, Shildon, Spennymoor and its contiguous suburb village, Tudhoe, with their surrounding villages, dales and fields.
Members of Parliament
Elections
Elections in the 2010s
Elections in the 2000s
Elections in the 1990s
Elections in the 1980s
Elections in the 1970s
Elections in the 1960s
Elections in the 1950s
Elections in the 1940s
Elections in the 1930s
Elections in the 1920s
Elections in the 1910s
thumb|120px|Rutherford Election results 1885-1918
Elections in the 1880s
thumb|120px|Wyvill Elections in the 1890s
thumb|120px|Paulton Elections in the 1900s
Elections in the 1910s
General Election 1914/15:
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;
Liberal: Vickerman Rutherford
Unionist: Richard George Tyndall BrightNewcastle Journal 14 May 1914
Labour: Ben Spoor
See also
List of Parliamentary constituencies in County Durham
Bishop Auckland by-election, 1929
Notes
References
Sources
