Although this seat has been won by Labour at every general election since 1918 - even during the disastrous year of 1931 - it has been represented by a Conservative MP more recently than either neighbouring Carlisle and Copeland.
In 1976, the elevation to the House of Lords of the former Cabinet Minister Fred Peart allowed the Conservative candidate Richard Page to sneak in at the by-election on the back of the Labour governmentís mid-term unpopularity. Three years later, he was ousted by Dale Campbell-Savours, who has held the seat ever since
Following the closure of the last of the seatís coal mines, the council has attracted new industries such as plastics, footwear, electronics and fibres. A single steel works is all that remains of the seatís traditional economy.
The seat covers much of the Lake District National Parkís sumptuous countryside, from Cockermouth to the busy tourist resort of Keswick by Derwentwater. It also boasts two of the parkís most scenic lakes, Buttermere and Crummock Water.
There are virtually no ethnic minorities in the seat. 99% of the population are white giving Workington the third lowest ethnic minority population in the country.