Originally called Birmingham Stetchford, this seat was held for Labour by Roy Jenkins from 1950 to 1977 when he resigned to become President of the European Commission.
The Tories won the subsequent by-election, but Terry Davis regained the seat for Labour in 1979 and has held it since. Birmingham has a tradition of naming parliamentary constituencies after council wards, and when Stetchford disappeared in 1983, the seat was renamed Hodge Hill.
The constituency takes a wedge-shaped slice out of Birmingham stretching from Washwood Heath near the city centre to the eastern boundary with Solihull. It has seen an upturn in economic fortunes recently, with the two large local manufacturers - LDV (vans) and Alstom (trains) both experiencing a renaissance.
The two biggest local issues in recent months have been aircraft noise and travellers. Planes leaving Birmingham airport pass directly over the constituency, and inadequate insulation has become a more controversial topic. The other issue has mainly affected just one constituency - Hodge Hill, where there have been a number of unauthorised encampments recently.