Saffron Walden is a largely rural constituency in North-West Essex. It is by far the biggest constituency in Essex, but it is not just about farming. There are a host of small businesses – many of them high-tech – and there is also Stansted Airport.

The size of the constituency makes clarification important. Many of the postal addresses relate to towns outside the constituency and in some cases to other counties.

There are two medium sized towns within the constituency; Saffron Walden and Great Dunmow. They both have historic links, and are still regarded as some of the finest, most quintessential market towns in England – wonderful for shopping in independent stores, and home to an array of traditional crafts – and some more original ideas.

The constituency has important transport links. The M11 motorway runs from north to south at its western end, almost parallel with the West Anglia Main Line railway (King’s Lynn / Cambridge to London Liverpool Street). And there is the Airport itself, Stansted being London’s third airport and the fastest growing in the country. Saffron Walden is, quite literally, an hour away from both London and Europe.