A traditional south Wales Valleys heartland seat for Labour, who have held it since its creation in 1918 (though there have been major boundary changes). Sir Ray Powell has been the MP since 1979. At the 1997 general election, he had a majority of 64.2% over the Conservatives.
It forms part of the Bridgend local authority whose electors voted Yes in the 1997 devolution referendum, by a majority of 4,460, despite Powell's opposition. In the 1999 Assembly elections, Sir Ray Powell's daughter, Janice Gregory, won the seat for Labour with a smaller - yet significant - majority of 21.2%. Plaid Cymru came second with 27% of the vote.
The seat, which contains the town of Maesteg, has the familiar valleys profile of unemployment and social problems in the wake of the decline of the coal industry, problems which have been partly offset by the advent of newer manufacturing industries. The constituency is landlocked.