Exeter is Devonís oldest city as well as its county town. Before Labourís victory in 1997, when Ben Bradshaw was elected MP with a majority of 11,705 on an 11.9% swing from the Conservatives, Labour had last won this seat in 1966.
Openly gay, Ben Bradshaw defeated Conservative Adrian Rogers who was the director of the Conservative Family Campaign.
Exeter offers all the variety and facilities of a large cosmopolitan city as well as being surrounded by rolling acres of green Devon countryside, within minutes drive of the centre. One of Exeterís best known sights is St Peterís Cathedral. It was built in Norman times in 1114, but its present form was finished around 1375. The cathedral has the longest unbroken Gothic vault ceiling in the world and one of the sculptured bosses from 1350 shows the murder of Thomas a Beckett.
Exeter is a tourist and shopping centre and has a fast-growing office sector. The constituency has some industry, particularly related to Devonís agricultural business.