Labour/Liberal Democrat marginals are a rare breed of seat. Mirroring the only other example of this type in Greater Manchester, Oldham East & Saddleworth, Rochdale is a reasonably diverse constituency featuring industry, residential housing and a swathe countryside which includes the Pennine Hills.
Rochdale is a manufacturing centre where engineering and textiles are the most important sectors. The M62 passes through the constituency on the northern edge of the Manchester conurbation, so there are many distribution companies here. The Co-opeartive movement was born here.
Littleborough is an attractive town surrounded by hills with some manufacturing companies. Rochdale has many old terraced streets and in some the town’s large Asian minority is concentrated. There are some newer residential developments in Wardle and Littleborough but the council house sector is still large. The proportion of skilled and partly skilled manual workers is above the national average. Gracie Fields and Lisa Stansfield were born here.