[3] The area is in the rolling Pennines of West Yorkshire with considerable commerce, industry, retail and occupational trades.

However, the constituency's largest town, Batley, has a sizeable number of residents with South Asian backgrounds, namely Pakistani (9.2%) and Indian (mostly Gujarati) (15.9%).

[5] The results of the last fifty years show marginal majorities for Labour and for the Conservatives, and is considered to be part of the "red wall".

This West Yorkshire constituency covers Batley, Birkenshaw, Birstall, Cleckheaton, East Bierley, Gomersal, Hunsworth, and Liversedge.

The constituency did not exist in its present form before 1983 and has seen significant boundary changes since its creation – most notably those that took effect for the 1997 general election.

[18][19][20][21][22][23][24][excessive citations] The by-election was despite the expectations won for Labour by Jo Cox's sister, Kim Leadbeater, with a reduced majority.