Former minister Virginia Bottomley was returned to Surrey South West in 1997 after a close fight with the Liberal Democrats. Her majority was substantially reduced from over 14,000 votes to a slender 2,694 votes which makes this seat the closest in the county to a marginal. For the first time since they both entered parliament, her husband Peter Bottomley, having moved from Eltham to Worthing West, has the more secure constituency.
Located towards the Sussex and Hampshire borders, this seat combines pleasant countryside and residential areas. The main towns in the constituency are Farnham, after which a very similar seat was named before the 1983 boundary changes, Godalming and Haslemere. Local landmarks include the Devilís Punchbowl and Frensham Ponds which characterise this rural home counties seat.
The main industries in the area are historically paper, leather, wool and cloth. However it is now more a base for mainly affluent commuters to London. Nearly half of the total population is aged over 40 and unemployment levels are among the lowest in the country.