Based on the former Morpeth seat which was replaced in 1983, the constituency is now more appropriately named after the river which winds its way through the seat, rather than the affluent commuter town of Morpeth which is hardly representative of this gritty division in the heart of the former Northumberland coalfield.
Labour has won Morpeth and then Wansbeck in every general election since the Second World War and Denis Murphy won majority of 22,367 in 1997.
The main centres of population here are the towns of Morpeth, Newbiggen, Bedlington, Pegswood and Ashington - birthplace of the footballing brothers Bobby and Jack Charlton. All of these towns are industrial in nature and grew up as mining communities, although other industries are replacing coal and the largest employer is now Alcan - makers of aluminium cans.
There is some agriculture in the seat, and some of Newcastle’s better-off commuters choose to live here.
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