In 1983 the Leicestershire coalfield, an area loyal to Labour, was removed from the constituency and replaced by much of the Soar Valley, a rural area that tended to vote Conservative. Opencast coal mining is still relevant to the west of the seat only at Measham, one of the few high-profile excavations planned by Coalfield Resources PLC (formerly UK Coal). In 1995 the Soar Valley was moved to the newly created Charnwood constituency approximately reinstating the old version of the seat.