Kent had the equal highest number of constituencies of the non-metropolitan counties and all 16 of these were held by the Conservatives before 1997. At that election Labour won eight of them.
This is a largely industrial seat, and that industry is not just centred on Rochester. The Isle of Grain, to the far north of the seat, holds a British Gas terminal, a power station, and one of the most modern container ports in the country, on the 160 acre site of an old BP oil terminal. Skilled manual workers continue to make up a significant portion of the working population. BAe Systems, formerly Marconi Avionics, is the seatís major employer, and following the merger should go from strength to strength.
Rochester does have some interesting history beyond the dark days of industrial closures, though. It is known internationally for its Dickensian connections - there is a Dickens festival held every May - and some tourists come just to see its cathedral, once a site of medieval pilgrimage.