Labour's Martin Jones has held Clwyd South, which was subject to substantial boundary changes in 1983 and 1995, in its various manifestations since 1987.
He has increased his majority at every election and in 1997 this jumped from 10% to 35%.
In the 1999 Assembly elections, Labour won the seat, albeit with a reduced majority of 16.9%. The low turnout at these elections reflected the fact that the area voted No in the 1997 referendum.
In terms of local government representation, Labour has a clear lead over the other political parties.
The seat comprises the Welsh-speaking rural farming areas of the southern part of the former Clwyd county and the Maelor areas, near Wrexham, on the border with England.
It also includes some of the industrial villages on the western fringes of Wrexham, which themselves have substantial Welsh-speaking populations.
The traditional coal and steel industries have been closed, and largely have been replaced by light industry. Llangollen, which hosts the annual International Folk Eisteddfod is in the constituency, bringing a valuable tourist income to the area.
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