Harrow West is largely residential and based on a number of old villages, such as Harrow on the Hill, Pinner and Hatch End which were joined by housing developments during the inter-war years.
As befits John Betjeman's beloved "Metroland", levels of owner-occupation are high and the number of council houses correspondingly low. Apart from three small industrial areas there is very little industry and no large shopping areas.
There are some major offices along the Northolt Road but excellent transport links including rail, underground and buses encourage commuting into central London. More than half the population can be classed as professional or managerial. There is a large Asian population, making up 14.1% of all residents.
Harrow takes pride in its educational achievements - the famous public school is here and the state sector achieves high scores in exams at all levels.
Gareth Thomas, MP for this constituency, overturned a Conservative majority of 17,890 in 1997. An astonishing result considering that Labour had barely squeezed into second place five years before with 12,000 votes to the Tories 30,000.
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