Kettering is now (in percentage terms) the most marginal seat which Labour hold, with the Conservatives requiring only a 0.15% swing to regain it. The seat (covering over 400 square miles) is made up of three semi-industrial A6 towns - Burton Latimer, Desborough and Rothwell - along with numerous villages around the Welland Valley and some commuter villages from the area covered by Daventry District Council.
Kettering is firmly at the crossroads of England, claiming access by road to three quarters of the UK population in two hours. Kettering itself is a commercial and light industrial town, with a substantial middle class, although there are some small pockets of deprivation within the town itself. The town is most noted for its footwear industry, but the economy is now more diverse and includes the headquarters of Weetabix, RCI (timeshare property exchange) and Pegasus (accounting software).
Outside the town, many historic and picturesque villages preserve the charm and tranquillity of a traditional rural community. Tourist attractions include Boughton house, which is one home of the Dukes of Buccleuch and Queensberry, and is known as "The English Versailles".