The creation of a sixth and extra seat in Bedfordshire by the Boundary Commission before the 1997 General Election stripped the constituency of its very Conservative villages in the northern tip of Bedfordshire and meant that Patrick Hall, the Labour candidate, needed a swing of just 5% to be elected. In the event, he achieved a 13% swing.
The seat's population is growing and Bedford is expanding to accommodate it. The electorate is ethnically diverse, with significant Italian, black, Asian, Polish and Irish communities.
The area has suffered from significant job losses - Texas Instruments, George Fischer Castings and the Ministry of Defence research centre at Thurleigh Airfield have all closed in recent years.
Bedford town has many commercial, service and educational facilities with industry and brewing interests too. It has long been a major administrative centre with good residential areas and De Montfort University, formerly Leicester Polytechnic, has a campus in Bedford.
Patrick Hall is the town’s third Labour MP since the war, winning the seat in his second attempt in 1997.