Rother Valley
Labour hold

Rather like the Don Valley seat surrounds Doncaster, Rother Valley has traditionally wrapped itself around Rotherham like a red blanket. It consists of the south-eastern part of the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham, with a large number of small communities, mostly created by the coal mining of the South Yorkshire field: places such as Maltby, Dinnington, Kiveton Park and Thurcroft. There are some agricultural and private residential areas too, but there is something of a "neighbourhood effect" in operation; areas which might be Conservative in a more favourable environment are more reluctant to express that background when Labour is in a hegemonic situation. The Tories only polled 17pc here in a seat which is half middle class, and it is safe for Kevin Barron.

Kevin Barron, a one-time Scargillite miner, elected here in 1993, progressively distanced himself from his former mentor to the extent of losing his NUM sponsorship, and co-running the campaign backing Blair's Clause Four redraft in 1995. Once-rising as PPS to Neil Kinnock (1985-88), his career levelled-out as a Health spokesman dropped on the morrow of victory in 1997, having earlier failed in a bid to become Chief Whip. Known now as a campaigner against tobacco advertising, even he has loyally accepted delays in implementing a ban on Formula One. Helplessly too, he otherwise understandably bemoans a dead coalfield.

Area Percent GB Percent Index GB=100   Thriving Wealthy Achievers, Suburban Areas 10.04% 14.99% 66.98 Affluent Greys, Rural Communities 0.00% 2.13% 0.00 Prosperous Pensioners, Retirement Areas 0.00% 2.49% 0.00 Expanding Affluent Executives, Family Areas 3.29% 4.43% 74.40 Well-Off Workers, Family Areas 19.96% 7.27% 274.46 Rising Affluent Urbanites, Town & City Areas 0.18% 2.56% 7.03 Prosperous Professionals, Metropolitan Areas 0.00% 2.04% 0.00 Better-Off Executives, Inner City Areas 0.00% 3.94% 0.00 Settling Comfortable Middle Agers, Mature Home Owning Areas 11.72% 13.04% 89.88 Skilled Workers, Home Owning Areas 19.34% 12.70% 152.24 Aspiring New Home Owners, Mature Communities 21.16% 8.14% 259.81 White Collar Workers, Better-Off Multi Ethnic Areas 0.00% 4.02% 0.00 Striving Older People, Less Prosperous Areas 4.46% 3.19% 140.01 Council Estate Residents, Better-Off Homes 8.81% 11.31% 77.90 Council Estate Residents, High Unemployment 0.00% 3.06% 0.14 Council Estate Residents, Greatest Hardship 1.03% 2.52% 40.87 People in Multi-Ethnic, Low-Income Areas 0.00% 2.10% 0.00 Unclassified Unclassified 0.00% 0.06% 1.77

Area Percent GB Percent Index GB=100   £0-5K 11.38% 9.41% 120.91 £5-10K 19.63% 16.63% 118.03 £10-15K 18.66% 16.58% 112.57 £15-20K 14.41% 13.58% 106.12 £20-25K 10.34% 10.39% 99.51 £25-30K 7.24% 7.77% 93.12 £30-35K 5.05% 5.79% 87.13 £35-40K 3.54% 4.33% 81.61 £40-45K 2.50% 3.27% 76.58 £45-50K 1.79% 2.48% 72.00 £50-55K 1.29% 1.90% 67.87 £55-60K 0.95% 1.47% 64.13 £60-65K 0.70% 1.15% 60.74 £65-70K 0.52% 0.91% 57.68 £70-75K 0.39% 0.72% 54.91 £75-80K 0.30% 0.57% 52.39 £80-85K 0.23% 0.46% 50.11 £85-90K 0.18% 0.37% 48.02 £90-95K 0.14% 0.31% 46.11 £95-100K 0.11% 0.25% 44.37 £100K + 0.49% 1.34% 36.47