It was reckoned that in an even year, the diminutive Goole, combined with the affluent, hi-tech industrial towns that follow the Trent and the many, tiny villages dotted around the flatlands of Lincolnshire would be enough to return a Tory MP here.
In fact, Ian Cawsey won the seat in 1997 with a majority of 6,389, a 14% swing towards Labour and a fine result for the party considering the constituency's marginal status prior to the election.
Despite defeat, the constituency offers much hope for the Conservatives. The farming industry has suffered through the pig farming crisis, and there is much sympathy for the party's position on Europe and the perceived double standards in EU laws governing the welfare of animals.
Also, further electoral promise is offered by the burgeoning industrial towns of Gunness and Flixborough, the latter being a former steel town that has since been declared an Enterprise Zone and is now home to a large chemical works.
Mr Cawsey recently made a successful recovery from cancer.
In his spare time, he enjoys playing the guitar in a local pub rock band. He is a strong opponent of shipping in Goole that sails under so-called "Flags of Convenience" - a hazard that he believes could cost lives.