A Labour seat since its creation in 1955, with only a momentary lapse in 1977 when the Conservative Tim Smith took the seat in a by-election.
The constituency lies to the north west of Nottingham and its main towns are Sutton-in-Ashfield, Kirby-in-Ashfield, Hucknall and Eastwood (the birthplace of DH Lawrence). The main rural areas are Selston, Jacksdale and Underwood.
Ashfield has always been associated with moderation rather than militancy. Most Nottinghamshire miners did not support Arthur Scargill and the NUMís call to strike in 1984, claiming that the strike was unconstitutional and continued to work. They founded their own breakaway union, the Union of Democratic Mineworkers.
In the following 1987 General Election the Conservatives increased their vote in Ashfield by 3% on a swing of 1.9% from Labour to the Conservatives. There were similar swings in neighbouring mining constituencies.
But sympathy with Margaret Thatcher and the Conservatives ran short when not long their pits were also shut. Closures continued over the years, with the vast majority having met their fate by early 1994 when the coal industry was privatised.
Following the decline of the mining industry, the textiles industry increased in importance. However Coats-Vyella has recently closed some of its factories in Ashfield leading to the loss of several hundred jobs. Kodak, Rolls Royce and Pretty Polly all have factories in Ashfield.