BBC Profile:
In 1997 the Conservatives saw a 10% drop in their vote, and a majority of over 14,000 was cut to just over 3,000. In 2001 they managed to increase their share of the vote on a low turnout, and their majority inched passed 3,400.

But in 2005 Oliver Heald increased the party's majority to approaching five figures, as the Labour vote fell away.

At the election, boundary changes mean that the seat loses its part of the Graveley and Wymondley ward to Hitchin and Harpenden. It gains the rest of Hertford Rural South ward from Hertford and Stortford; Walkern from Stevenage; and Letchworth Wilbury from Hitchin and Harpenden. To find out what might have happened had this boundary change been in force at the last election, see a notional - or estimated - result below.

The constituency cuts across North Hertfordshire and East Hertfordshire District Councils. It contains Letchworth, the first Garden City and, less famously, Baldock, Royston, Buntingford and Puckeridge, as well as numerous villages of varying sizes.

The constituency has a mixture of small- to medium-sized research-based technology companies, light engineering and agriculture. The largest employer is Johnson Matthey, the precious metals and auto-catalyst group.

Royston has experienced considerable growth of light industry recently and this has been accompanied by the development of new housing.

Agriculture is primarily arable, although there are sheep breeders to the south of the constituency

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BBC Profile:
In 1997 the Conservatives saw a 10% drop in their vote, and a majority of over 14,000 was cut to just over 3,000. In 2001 they managed to increase their share of the vote on a low turnout, and their majority inched passed 3,400.

But in 2005 Oliver Heald increased the party's majority to approaching five figures, as the Labour vote fell away.

At the election, boundary changes mean that the seat loses its part of the Graveley and Wymondley ward to Hitchin and Harpenden. It gains the rest of Hertford Rural South ward from Hertford and Stortford; Walkern from Stevenage; and Letchworth Wilbury from Hitchin and Harpenden. To find out what might have happened had this boundary change been in force at the last election, see a notional - or estimated - result below.

The constituency cuts across North Hertfordshire and East Hertfordshire District Councils. It contains Letchworth, the first Garden City and, less famously, Baldock, Royston, Buntingford and Puckeridge, as well as numerous villages of varying sizes.

The constituency has a mixture of small- to medium-sized research-based technology companies, light engineering and agriculture. The largest employer is Johnson Matthey, the precious metals and auto-catalyst group.

Royston has experienced considerable growth of light industry recently and this has been accompanied by the development of new housing.

Agriculture is primarily arable, although there are sheep breeders to the south of the constituency, as well as some dairy and pig farming.

There is also a sizeable contingent of commuters to London each day, as evidenced by the above average percentage of the population employed in the managerial sector and the skilled non-manual sector.

Rallings & Thrasher Notional:
C 23,149 (48.07%)
Lab 13,639 (28.32%)
LD 9,782 (20.31%)
UKIP 1,587 (3.30%)

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