The remote seat of Barrow & Furness, tucked away in the west of Cumbria beyond the Lake District, seems an unlikely location for one of Britainís most important industrial centres. Perhaps it is the very isolation of the port of Barrow-in-Furness, the largest town in the constituency, that makes it the preferred site for Vickers - constructors of Britainís nuclear submarine fleet.
Labourís Albert Booth, a former member of the cabinet and MP for Barrow since 1966, suffered a shock defeat to the Tories in 1983, who romped home with a 4,577 majority on a 9.7% swing. It was widely believed that Labourís support for unilateral disarmament sent economic tremors through a small town entirely dependent on the construction of Trident submarines.
Any current uncertainty over the economic future of Barrow-in-Furness has been lessened by the introduction of new industries to the town, including electronics, engineering, chemicals, construction and footwear.
Further along the Furness Peninsula are the towns of Ulverston and Dalton, set among a sweeping mix of moors, hills, crags and coastline which combine to provide some of the most beautifully wild countryside in the country.