The seat covers the Borough of Melton, District of Rutland and part of Harborough Council. The Conservatives are not overwhelmingly strong at the local government level - in fact Independents have formed some interesting alliances. Rutland Council is run by the 17 strong ‘Majority Partnership’ which is a mixture of Labour, Green, Conservative, Independent Conservative, Lib Dems and Independents.
The market town of Melton Mowbray, associated with pork pies, stilton and fox hunting is at the centre of the Borough of Melton. One of the country’s largest cattle fairs is still held in Melton Mowbray every Tuesday. It also contains Anne of Cleves’ house - a gift from Henry VIII to his divorced wife.
From the twelfth century onwards it was renowned for sheep farming, wool merchants and the knitting trade. A large iron foundry was also set up in the 1870s although ironstone is no longer worked. Textiles, shoe and engineering factories were established in the 1920s and in 1950 Pedigree petfoods and PERA moved here.
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