Wrexham has been traditional Labour territory, although not with the massive majorities characteristic of south Wales industrial seats.
Labour's John Marek has been the MP since 1983 but was also elected as a Member of the Welsh Assembly, and is standing down from Westminster at this election.
An industrial and market town close to the English border, Wrexham has fared better than many similar communities in successfully diversifying its economy in the wake of the rundown of the area's traditional employers, steel and coal.
As north Wales's biggest town, it has developed as an important regional centre for north east Wales. It will not receive money from the Objective One or Two EU Structural Funds programmes nor regional selective assistance. As a result, there have been worries locally that the area could now suffer economically, from being sandwiched between two areas (Merseyside and NW Wales) that will receive much more aid.
Wrexham lager is no longer brewed in the town. Since April 2000, Carlsberg Tetley have been producing it in Blackburn instead.
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