Phil Wilson says the Labour Party must return to the centre ground if it wants to get back into government in the future. Mr Wilson was one of dozens of Labour scalps claimed by the Tories in the seismic general election that brought the Conservative Party’s biggest majority since the Thatcher years – and Labour’s worst result in its...

Staff from the Office of the Police Crime and Victims’ Commissioner and Durham Constabulary presented the cheque for £2455.42 at the monthly social for the County Durham and Darlington branch of the Motor Neurone Disease Association at Poplar Tree Garden Centre, Shincliffe. Colleagues came together to raise the funds following the sad news...

By Donna Campbell This past week saw the start of the festive racing. This began on Saturday with two of our members combining a weekend away in York with racing. Jayne Rudd and Marie Rudd both completed the York Yuletide five-mile race which is a two lap race across fields and through the woods alongside the River Ouse. Marie completed this...

The Labour Party has lost its grip on Newton Aycliffe after Conservative candidate Paul Howell won the Sedgefield seat in the general election. Mr Howell ended up winning with a comfortable 4,513 majority – polling 19,609 votes to Phil Wilson’s Labour candidate with 15,096 – in Thursday’s election. It comes as huge areas of the...

Woodham Academy students have made it to the final of this year’s Durham Schools’ Choir Competition. Both ‘Woodham Sound’ and ‘Advanced Vocals’ will take part in a vocal workshop, followed by a performance of their chosen songs. A panel of judges will decide which choir will represent Durham at the North East Secondary School...

A new project being offered by Teesside University is enabling employed people in County Durham to learn vital new digital skills - at no cost to themselves. The Digital Skills for Growth programme is part-funded by the European Social Fund. Delivered by the University’s School of Computing, Engineering and Digital Technologies, it works with...

Aycliffe Today editor Martin Walker on how the general election could play out in Sedgefield… Phil Wilson faces arguably the fight of his life in this snap election – the third time in four years we’ve been asked to go the ballot box. It’s expected to be a close call for the Sedgefield seat, with Newton Aycliffe playing a major role...

The Conservative parliamentary candidate for Sedgefield in Thursday’s general election says he will fight for local authority funding – despite seeing crippling cuts under a Tory government. Alarming figures, revealed by the independent campaign group Stop School Cuts, show how Aycliffe schools will be even more worse off in 2020 under Tory...

By Matty Bright Although we are getting closer and closer to Christmas Day, the football remained a priority for our Junior sides that managed to get a match played in trying conditions. Our Under 7’s played on Saturday morning in what was a frustrating game for the Aycliffe side. The lads’ confidence levels continue to grow and their...

Twelve individuals from the county’s tourism industry have been recognised as ambassadors after successfully completing the ‘Welcome to Durham’ training programme, an initiative led by Visit County Durham. The course was introduced by Visit County Durham in 2013 to provide businesses with the skills and resources to offer the highest...