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Durham — UK General Election Results

Compiled by EveryElectionResult.com's data team · Last updated 2026-08-30

Durham was won by Labour at the 1979 general election, with a majority of 11,237 votes over Conservative. This page covers every general election in Durham from 1832 to 1979.

Full Election History, 1832–1979

Election Elected Votes Vote Share Runner-up Majority Turnout
1832 William Charles Harland (Whig) 440 35.9% William Richard Carter Chaytor (Whig) 36 (2.9 pts) 76.1%
1835 Arthur Hill-Trevor (Conservative) 473 37.7% William Charles Harland (Whig) 40 (3.2 pts) 70.4%
1837 Arthur Hill-Trevor (Conservative) 465 38.5% William Charles Harland (Whig) 92 (7.6 pts) 63.7%
1841 Robert FitzRoy (Conservative) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1847 Thomas Colpitts Granger (Radical) 595 38.0% Henry John Spearman (Whig) 76 (4.9 pts) 67.4%
1852 Thomas Colpitts Granger (Radical) 571 36.0% William Atherton (Radical) 61 (3.8 pts) 68.6%
1857 William Atherton (Radical) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1859 William Atherton (Liberal) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1865 John Henderson (Liberal) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1868 John Henderson (Liberal) 823 35.2% John Robert Davison (Liberal) 39 (1.7 pts) 66.6%
1874 Thomas Charles Thompson (Liberal) 924 34.9% John Henderson (Liberal) 45 (1.7 pts) 64.3%
1880 Thomas Charles Thompson (Liberal) 1,237 35.9% Farrer Herschell (Liberal) 85 (2.5 pts) 73.3%
1885 Thomas Milvain (Conservative) 1,114 52.9% Thomas Charles Thompson (Liberal) 121 (5.7 pts) 91.5%
1886 Thomas Milvain (Conservative) 1,129 56.9% George Brooks (Liberal) 274 (13.8 pts) 86.2%
1892 Matthew Fowler (Liberal) 1,075 51.8% Thomas Milvain (Conservative) 75 (3.6 pts) 89.4%
1895 Matthew Fowler (Liberal) 1,110 50.1% Arthur Ralph Douglas Elliot (Liberal Unionist) 3 (0.1 pts) 89.3%
1900 Arthur Ralph Douglas Elliot (Liberal Unionist) 1,250 61.5% William Nevill Motgomerie Geary (Liberal) 469 (23.1 pts) 77.9%
1906 John Waller Hills (Liberal Unionist) 1,313 59.9% Arthur Ralph Douglas Elliot (Free Trade) 433 (19.7 pts) 85.0%
Jan 1910 John Waller Hills (Liberal Unionist) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
Dec 1910 John Waller Hills (Liberal Unionist) 1,313 60.0% Cecil Algernon Cochrane (Liberal) 436 (19.9 pts) 84.2%
1918 John Waller Hills (Unionist) 9,027 50.6% Joshua Ritson (Labour) 218 (1.2 pts) 61.4%
1922 Joshua Ritson (Labour) 14,068 55.2% John Waller Hills (Unionist) 2,672 (10.5 pts) 81.9%
1923 Joshua Ritson (Labour) 13,819 56.8% Thomas Andrew Bradford (Unionist) 3,289 (13.5 pts) 77.2%
1924 Joshua Ritson (Labour) 15,032 54.9% Sidney Richard Streatfeild (Unionist) 5,418 (19.8 pts) 85.2%
1929 Joshua Ritson (Labour) 18,514 56.8% William McKeag (Liberal) 11,248 (34.5 pts) 80.1%
1931 William McKeag (Liberal) 17,406 50.4% Joshua Ritson (Labour) 270 (0.8 pts) 83.7%
1935 Joshua Ritson (Labour) 21,517 59.1% William McKeag (National Liberal) 6,607 (18.1 pts) 85.2%
1945 Charles Frederick Grey (Labour) 24,135 66.2% John Bunyan (National Liberal) 11,804 (32.4 pts) 79.8%
1950 Charles Frederick Grey (Labour) 36,024 68.1% Henry Camden Ridge Laslett (Conservative) 19,121 (36.1 pts) 87.0%
1951 Charles Frederick Grey (Labour) 35,597 67.1% Robert Fisher (Conservative) 18,150 (34.2 pts) 86.1%
1955 Charles Frederick Grey (Labour) 32,412 66.1% Charles P MacCarthy (Conservative) 15,772 (32.1 pts) 79.5%
1959 Charles Frederick Grey (Labour) 33,795 66.4% Charles P MacCarthy (Conservative) 16,689 (32.8 pts) 81.8%
1964 Charles Frederick Grey (Labour) 32,818 68.3% Joseph Meredith Whittaker (Conservative) 17,609 (36.7 pts) 78.8%
1966 Charles Grey (Labour) 32,200 70.6% Richard Michael Yorke (Conservative) 18,817 (41.3 pts) 74.7%
1970 Mark Hughes (Labour) 33,766 66.9% Ernest Greenwood (Conservative) 17,059 (33.8 pts) 73.3%
Feb 1974 Mark Hughes (Labour) 31,405 52.5% Timothy Kirkhope (Conservative) 15,203 (25.4 pts) 80.8%
Oct 1974 Mark Hughes (Labour) 31,305 58.5% Derek Conway (Conservative) 18,116 (33.9 pts) 71.6%
1979 Mark Hughes (Labour) 30,903 52.3% Matthew Eaton Lavis (Conservative) 11,237 (19.0 pts) 76.3%

Full Result Breakdown by Election

1832

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
William Charles Harland Whig 44035.9% Yes
William Richard Carter Chaytor Whig 40432.9% No
Arthur Hill-Trevor Conservative 38331.2% No

1835

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Arthur Hill-Trevor Conservative 47337.7% Yes
William Charles Harland Whig 43334.5% No
Thomas Colpitts Granger Radical 35027.9% No

1837

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Arthur Hill-Trevor Conservative 46538.5% Yes
William Charles Harland Whig 37330.9% No
Thomas Colpitts Granger Radical 37130.7% No

1841

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Robert FitzRoy Conservative Unopposed Yes
Thomas Colpitts Granger Radical Unopposed No

1847

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Thomas Colpitts Granger Radical 59538.0% Yes
Henry John Spearman Whig 51933.2% No
David Edward Wood Conservative 45028.8% No

1852

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Thomas Colpitts Granger Radical 57136.0% Yes
William Atherton Radical 51032.1% No
Adolphus Frederick Charles William Vane Conservative 50631.9% No

1857

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
William Atherton Radical Unopposed Yes
John Robert Mowbray Conservative Unopposed No

1859

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
William Atherton Liberal Unopposed Yes
John Robert Mowbray Conservative Unopposed No

1865

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
John Henderson Liberal Unopposed Yes
John Robert Mowbray Conservative Unopposed No

1868

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
John Henderson Liberal 82335.2% Yes
John Robert Davison Liberal 78433.5% No
John Lloyd Wharton Conservative 73231.3% No

1874

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Thomas Charles Thompson Liberal 92434.9% Yes
John Henderson Liberal 87933.2% No
John Lloyd Wharton Conservative 84631.9% No

1880

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Thomas Charles Thompson Liberal 1,23735.9% Yes
Farrer Herschell Liberal 1,15233.4% No
John Lloyd Wharton Conservative 1,05830.7% No

1885

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Thomas Milvain Conservative 1,11452.9% Yes
Thomas Charles Thompson Liberal 99347.1% No

1886

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Thomas Milvain Conservative 1,12956.9% Yes
George Brooks Liberal 85543.1% No

1892

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Matthew Fowler Liberal 1,07551.8% Yes
Thomas Milvain Conservative 1,00048.2% No

1895

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Matthew Fowler Liberal 1,11050.1% Yes
Arthur Ralph Douglas Elliot Liberal Unionist 1,10749.9% No

1900

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Arthur Ralph Douglas Elliot Liberal Unionist 1,25061.5% Yes
William Nevill Motgomerie Geary Liberal 78138.5% No

1906

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
John Waller Hills Liberal Unionist 1,31359.9% Yes
Arthur Ralph Douglas Elliot Free Trade 88040.1% No

Jan 1910

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
John Waller Hills Liberal Unionist Unopposed Yes

Dec 1910

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
John Waller Hills Liberal Unionist 1,31360.0% Yes
Cecil Algernon Cochrane Liberal 87740.0% No

1918

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
John Waller Hills Unionist 9,02750.6% Yes
Joshua Ritson Labour 8,80949.4% No

1922

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Joshua Ritson Labour 14,06855.2% Yes
John Waller Hills Unionist 11,39644.8% No

1923

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Joshua Ritson Labour 13,81956.8% Yes
Thomas Andrew Bradford Unionist 10,53043.2% No

1924

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Joshua Ritson Labour 15,03254.9% Yes
Sidney Richard Streatfeild Unionist 9,61435.1% No
William McKeag Liberal 2,74710.0% No

1929

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Joshua Ritson Labour 18,51456.8% Yes
William McKeag Liberal 7,26622.3% No
George Mervyn Anstey Hamilton-Fletcher Unionist 6,82020.9% No

1931

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
William McKeag Liberal 17,40650.4% Yes
Joshua Ritson Labour 17,13649.6% No

1935

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Joshua Ritson Labour 21,51759.1% Yes
William McKeag National Liberal 14,91040.9% No

1945

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Charles Frederick Grey Labour 24,13566.2% Yes
John Bunyan National Liberal 12,33133.8% No

1950

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Charles Frederick Grey Labour 36,02468.1% Yes
Henry Camden Ridge Laslett Conservative 16,90331.9% No

1951

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Charles Frederick Grey Labour 35,59767.1% Yes
Robert Fisher Conservative 17,44732.9% No

1955

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Charles Frederick Grey Labour 32,41266.1% Yes
Charles P MacCarthy Conservative 16,64033.9% No

1959

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Charles Frederick Grey Labour 33,79566.4% Yes
Charles P MacCarthy Conservative 17,10633.6% No

1964

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Charles Frederick Grey Labour 32,81868.3% Yes
Joseph Meredith Whittaker Conservative 15,20931.7% No

1966

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Charles Grey Labour 32,20070.6% Yes
Richard Michael Yorke Conservative 13,38329.4% No

1970

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Mark Hughes Labour 33,76666.9% Yes
Ernest Greenwood Conservative 16,70733.1% No

Feb 1974

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Mark Hughes Labour 31,40552.5% Yes
Timothy Kirkhope Conservative 16,20227.1% No
Paul Alan John Heesom Liberal 12,23520.4% No

Oct 1974

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Mark Hughes Labour 31,30558.5% Yes
Derek Conway Conservative 13,18924.7% No
Paul Alan John Heeson Liberal 9,01116.8% No

1979

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Mark Hughes Labour 30,90352.3% Yes
Matthew Eaton Lavis Conservative 19,66633.3% No
Chris Wood Liberal 8,57214.5% No

Margin Over Time

Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.

1832: Whig margin 2.9 pts 1835: Conservative margin 3.2 pts 1837: Conservative margin 7.6 pts 1847: Radical margin 4.9 pts 1852: Radical margin 3.8 pts 1868: Liberal margin 1.7 pts 1874: Liberal margin 1.7 pts 1880: Liberal margin 2.5 pts 1885: Conservative margin 5.7 pts 1886: Conservative margin 13.8 pts 1892: Liberal margin 3.6 pts 1895: Liberal margin 0.1 pts 1900: Liberal Unionist margin 23.1 pts 1906: Liberal Unionist margin 19.7 pts Dec 1910: Liberal Unionist margin 19.9 pts 1918: Unionist margin 1.2 pts 1922: Labour margin 10.5 pts 1923: Labour margin 13.5 pts 1924: Labour margin 19.8 pts 1929: Labour margin 34.5 pts 1931: Liberal margin 0.8 pts 1935: Labour margin 18.1 pts 1945: Labour margin 32.4 pts 1950: Labour margin 36.1 pts 1951: Labour margin 34.2 pts 1955: Labour margin 32.1 pts 1959: Labour margin 32.8 pts 1964: Labour margin 36.7 pts 1966: Labour margin 41.3 pts 1970: Labour margin 33.8 pts Feb 1974: Labour margin 25.4 pts Oct 1974: Labour margin 33.9 pts 1979: Labour margin 19.0 pts 1832 1835 1837 1847 1852 1868 1874 1880 1885 1886 1892 1895 1900 1906 Dec 1910 1918 1922 1923 1924 1929 1931 1935 1945 1950 1951 1955 1959 1964 1966 1970 Feb 1974 Oct 1974 1979

Trend

Durham has been contested at 38 general elections on record since 1832. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Whig, Conservative, Radical, Liberal, Liberal Unionist, Unionist, Labour.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won Durham in the 1979 general election?

Labour won Durham in 1979 with 30,903 votes (52.3%), a majority of 11,237 votes over Conservative in second place.

Which parties have won Durham since 1832?

Since 1832, Durham has been won by: Conservative, Labour, Liberal, Liberal Unionist, Radical, Unionist, Whig.

What was the closest result in Durham?

The closest result on record for Durham was 1895, when Liberal beat Liberal Unionist by just 3 votes (0.1 percentage points).

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