DESPITE being a solid Labour seat since the beginnings of the Assembly, the party has seen its Newport West majority slip in recent years.

In the last Assembly elections Rosemary Butler’s majority fell from 3,752 in 2002 to 1,401 votes, with the Conservatives increasing their share of the vote by 5.2 per cent.

The Tories repeated the pattern in 2010’s general election, with a swing from red to blue of 3.2 per cent – not enough to unseat Labour stalwart MP Paul Flynn.

Mr Flynn won the seat in 1987 after a blip of four years, when the otherwise reliable-Labour seat turned Conservative.

Despite the challenge Mrs Butler, who served as deputy presiding officer in the previous Assembly, has served the constituents of Newport West since the Assembly opened.

Geographically the constituency includes everything within the boundaries of Newport that is west of the River Usk, stretching from Newport City Centre in the east to Castleton and Lower Machen in the rural west.

It is the most affluent of the two city constituencies, including the areas of Caerleon, Allt-Yr-Yn, Stow Hill and Marshfield. It also includes some of Newport’s poorest areas, including the ward of Pillgwenlly, Bettws and Duffryn.

Employment wise, the area hosts a large number of public service workers.

The government offices at Duffryn are home to employees of the UK Government’s Office of National Statistics and the Intellectual Property Office.

The Newport Passport Office, where 300 jobs are currently under threat, is also in the constituency.

Recent private sector investment in the city has also flowed into Newport West, especially around the Celtic Springs and Cleppa Park area.