Halesowen is an
urban and
suburban constituency located in the
West Midlands county. It covers the connected towns of
Halesowen and
Cradley Heath. The constituency is part of the
Black Country and has an
industrial heritage; Halesowen and Cradley Heath have a history of
coal mining and
metalworking, particularly in the production of
nails and
chains. Wealth in the constituency is divided; Cradley Heath has high levels of deprivation whilst Halesowen is more affluent, particularly in its southern suburbs. The average house price in the constituency is lower than the rest of the
West Midlands region and considerably lower than the national average. Constituents' levels of education, income and professional employment are lower than national averages.
White people made up 83% of the population at the
2021 census, a similar proportion to the country as a whole. At the local council level, Halesowen is mostly represented by
Conservatives with some
Liberal Democrat support in the western suburbs, whilst Cradley Heath elected
Labour Party councillors. Voters in the constituency strongly supported leaving the
European Union in the
2016 referendum; an estimated 66% voted in favour of
Brexit compared to the nationwide figure of 52%, making Halesowen one of the top-50 most Brexit-supporting constituencies out of 650 across the country. == Boundaries ==