Like its neighbours in the city, Stoke-on-Trent North has not deviated from supporting Labour for many years. Indeed, the biggest shock it has recently provided was when, in 1997, it returned the smallest majority of the three Labour seats - having had the largest at the previous election.
The constituency has a long industrial history, and is home to Chatterley Whitfield, a disused colliery which is now a heritage site. The seatís locus is the two working class Pottery districts of Burslem and Tunstall. Josiah Wedgewood was born in Burslem, and the industry which he did so much to create provides the major employment in the area.
However, in the 1995 boundary changes the heavily Labour supporting area of Kidsgrove was moved to Staffordshire Moorlands and the more middle class suburbs of Brown Edge and Endon and Stanley were gained in exchange.
This broke Labour's local election monopoly within the seat, but Labour's Joan Walley still managed to amass a majority exceeding 17,000 in 1997.