The total population of Harrow is just over 200,000, and covers an area of 20 square miles. Harrow East is largely residential in character. 77% of households are owner-occupied and despite a large non-white population of around 30%, these are in the main affluent Asian middle-class families that have supported the Tory party in past general elections.
Most of the working inhabitants are commuters engaged in non-manual trades, with retailing being the main industry in the seat itself. This seat is not home to Harrow public school, but as a result of its proximity has strong links with it.
The threatened closure of Edgware hospital (in the neighbouring constituency of Hendon) and other local issues reinforced the large swing to Labour typical of outer London boroughs and Harrow East fell to Labour in 1997, when its candidate achieved an 18% swing.