Situated midway between London and the Sussex coast, Mole Valley is in the county of Surrey. It takes its name from the River Mole which, from its source in Sussex, runs through one of the few natural gaps in the long line of the North Downs and eventually flows into the River Thames at East Molesey. Some of the most beautiful parts of the North Downs are found within the Mole Valley area, including many pleasant villages and the towns of Leatherhead and Dorking, where the bulk of the population live.
Since its creation in 1983, Mole Valley has been held by the Conservatives. Former home secretary and Conservative Party Chairman Kenneth Baker represented the seat until 1997, and since 1997 it has been held by Sir Paul Beresford. Despite the Labour landslide in 1997, this seat maintained a Conservative majority of over 10,000. The Liberal Democrats gained few votes in second, with Labour in third.
Just outside the M25 corridor, this seat is typical of the London commuter belt, and most of the people who live here are employed at the professional or managerial level. The residential nature of the seat is compounded by the fact that very little industry is based here.
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