Creation

The constituency was created for the 1885 general election by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 as one of eight new single-member divisions of the county of Durham, replacing the two 2-member seats of North Durham and South Durham.^[2] The seat covered a large area of north Durham, including areas which are now part of the Borough of Gateshead (Ryton, Blaydon and Whickham) and the City of Sunderland (Washington) in the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear.

Boundaries

Abolition

The seat was abolished for the 1983 general election as a result of the periodic review of parliamentary constituencies following the re-organisation of local government under the Local Government Act 1972. On abolition, the area which had comprised the new town of Washington was included in the new constituency of Houghton and Washington; the parishes of Birtley and Lamesley were transferred to Blaydon; and the remainder, comprising about half the electorate, becoming part of the re-established seat of North Durham.^[6]

Political history

Chester-le-Street and its successor constituency (North Durham) have over 100 years of continuous Labour representation.

Elections in the 1880s

Elections in the 1890s

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 the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

• Labour: John Gilliland

Elections in the 1920s

Elections in the 1930s

Election in the 1940s

Elections in the 1950s

Elections in the 1960s

Elections in the 1970s