Prospective Westminster Parliamentary Candidate for City of Durham

The Local Party Executive of County Durham Liberal Democrats invites applications for the selection of a Prospective Westminster Parliamentary Candidate for the constituency of City of Durham. Applications must be received by the Returning Officer no later than 12 noon on 23rd October.

About this seat

The City of Durham has a long Liberal Democrat history to build on. Some of the constituency’s wards have elected Lib Dems since the 1970s, and the City Council was held by the Lib Dems until 2009 when it was replaced by the countywide unitary council. That unitary council itself was recently run by a Liberal Democrat-led coalition until 2025, with the Durham City wards providing the majority of Lib Dem councillors.

Even after Reform UK's sweep of the county council in May 2025, the Liberal Democrats held their ground in both the City of Durham constituency and the neighbouring constituencies, becoming the official opposition on Durham County Council, with 15 councillors. That is testimony to the campaigning skills that have been developed across the city and county.

That is why the local party's campaigning has been held up nationally as a model for others to follow, standing a record number of candidates on new council boundaries, making a net gain against the national Reform UK wave, and having taken a further by-election off Reform since the last council elections. 

Based around a University city where the traditional Labour vote has been decimated, the City of Durham constituency would be ideal for a highly motivated candidate to lead a long-term campaign to establish the Lib Dems as the natural choice for progressive, liberally minded, voters.

How to apply

To apply, please use the provided online links to fill out the Candidate Application Form as well as the Candidate Statement & Diversity Form.

Separately, please email the following documents to the Returning Officer:

• Election Artwork: This should be a political CV or manifesto, limited to a single side of A4 in PDF format which is maximum 10 MB in size. This document will be included in the e-ballot and posted member mailing.

Returning Officer: Phil Barron, candidates@libdems.org.uk 

Applicants are responsible for ensuring their submission is confirmed as received by the Returning Officer prior to the closing time of 23rd October.

Further information regarding the Local Party can be obtained by contacting Owen Temple, oltemple1950@gmail.com 

Relevant documentation:

• The selection rules are available here.