Delyn was created as a Westminster seat in 1983 and was held by the Conservatives until David Hanson narrowly took it for Labour in 1992. He held it at the 1997 General Election, with a greatly increased majority.
Delyn comes within the Flintshire local authority which is dominated by Labour, which holds 45 of the 72 seats. The local Alliance party holds 14, the Liberal Democrats seven, the Conservatives two and Plaid Cymru one.
This is a slightly artificially contrived constituency whose boundaries bear little relation to natural historic or social divisions. It brings together parts of the Deeside conurbation which traditionally look to Merseyside rather than Wales, and a largely rural hinterland which contains a number of small market towns including Mold.
Mold is the home of Clwyd Theatr Cymru the closest Wales has to a National Theatre. Linguistically the Deeside industrial strip is one of the most anglicised parts of Wales. More Welsh is spoken in the inland part of the constituency with some farming areas predominantly Welsh speaking.