The seat includes part of the town of Newport together with the giant Llanwern steelworks, 450 jobs were cut there in July 2000, with owners Corus blaming the strength of Sterling against the euro.
Newport claims to be the fastest growing town in Wales, and has bid for City status. In January 2000, an analysis of Home Office figures by the Independent newspaper suggested that Newport is one of the most violent towns in England in Wales.
Created in 1983, this seat has been safe Labour territory at Westminster. This and its predecessor constituency, Newport, have had a succession of Labour members. Alan Howarth, who had famously defected from the Conservatives to Labour in 1995, became its MP at the 1997 general election following the elevation of the previous member, Roy Hughes, to the House of Lords. Mr Howarth had a majority of 36.3% over the Conservatives, who polled 7,958.