Save for fleeting Liberal success between 1923 and 1924, Altrincham has been continuously represented by the Conservatives since 1918. In 1945 the seat of Altrincham and Sale was created, and was represented between 1965 and 1974 by Anthony Barber, Chancellor of the Exchequer in Ted Heath’s government.
Following the boundary review of 1995, the seat became Altrincham and Sale West. Much of it is residential, ranging from pleasant towns to the more exclusive suburbs of Manchester. It has much in common with Cheshire’s Wilmslow and nearby suburbs such as Cheadle Hulme. Professional, managerial and technical employees and their families form over half the seat’s population, while the district of Hale Barns is a known home for the rich and famous.
Like any well-heeled commuter seat, the constituency has excellent transport links; the M65 forms part of the seat’s eastern border, Manchester Airport is only a short drive away and the new Metrolink from Altrincham into Manchester provides a convenient rail link into the heart of the city.
The west of the seat, rural in nature and bordered by the Manchester Ship Canal, includes a few tourist attractions such as Dunham Park and the Bridgewater Canal.
The general mauling the Conservatives took in 1997 saw their majority reduced to 1,505 votes - a tenth of what it was in 1992.