Even after only a year, you can feel the beginning of the shift. County Durham always had gentlemen farmers, and private schools, and the Church of England, and the Tory Party, and all that. But that world was socially and culturally peripheral. It was not in charge.
By the end of this Parliament, it will be in charge. This will just be rural England. The days of the miners as a country within a country will be very long gone. A key moment will be in May, when Labour is going to lose Overall Control of Durham County Council. Indeed, that loss might save that Council. A narrow Labour retention of power would very probably result in partition.
With the possible exception of a handful of wards that were very closely connected to Durham city centre, those which made up the three Conservative parliamentary constituencies of Sedgefield, Bishop Auckland,and North West Durham would be organised into a new West Durham County Council. The existing Durham County Councillors would be the first members, with the first elections held in 2025.
As of next year, that would have no Labour overall majority, and little or no future prospect of one. From the top floor of County Hall, the Labour rulers of East Durham County Council would be able to see into wards that were no longer subject to their jurisdiction, and which would never again be subject to that of their party.
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