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Deviance

More than any other, 2015’s General Election will be fought in just a handful of constituencies – with the votes fractured up to four ways.

Here’s our pick of some of the most interesting, with contenders from a range of parties and some unique local issues.

For more, visit Bellenden Elections’ Seat of the Week. Click to enlarge all images.

Holborn & St Pancras

The former Director of Public Prosecutions Sir Keir Starmer will be taking on leader of the Green Party, Natalie Bennett and former Lib Dem Mayor of Camden Jill Fraser in the race to succeed Frank Dobson MP, who has held the seat for 34 years.

With Labour currently holding a majority of almost 10,000, Keir Starmer will fancy his chances of ensuring this central London constituency, which runs from the constant bustle of Covent Garden to the leafy groves of Highgate, remains a Labour seat.

Hoping he won’t have it all his way are Leader of the Green Party, Natalie Bennett, and local campaigner, former councillor and Mayor of Camden, Jill Fraser, who is standing for the Liberal Democrats in Holborn and St Pancras for the second time. Public affairs consultant Will Blair will be representing the Conservatives’ hopes – with the Party’s 20% share of the vote in 2010 likely to take a hit in May.

 

Cardiff North

In Wales’ most marginal constituency, we see the battle of the ‘Williams’ as Conservative incumbent Jonathan Evans leaves Welsh Assembly researcher, Craig Williams to defend a majority of just 194 votes, against Labour’s Mari Williams.

The battle is already intense in one of the Conservatives’ few Welsh strongholds – despite a spell for Labour from 1997-2010, the seat has been Tory since 1966. Defending departing MP Jonathan Evans’ tiny 194 majority, Craig Williams (currently a researcher to the Conservative Spokesperson for Transport in the Assembly, Byron Davies AM, who is himself aiming to become the Conservative MP for the Gower) will be working hard to keep the seat blue, whilst Mari Williams will fancy her chances of painting Cardiff North red.

The seat is number 4 on Labour’s lists of 106 battlegrounds, whilst Mr Williams has vowed to campaign every day to keep Cardiff North for the Tories. Both parties have committed considerable resources to the campaign, and the candidates have worked hard to spell out their objectives – both of which focus strongly on supporting small businesses and creating jobs, as well as improving transport connectivity.

 

Great Grimsby

A high-profile seat which has already had its share of controversy, Great Grimsby is one of UKIP’s top targets – an example of its threat to Labour as well as Tory heartlands. Labour veteran Austin Mitchell is standing down, leaving his replacement Melanie Onn fighting it out with former Conservative turned UKIP candidate Victoria Ayling.

With the popular and outspoken veteran MP Austin Mitchell standing down, there’s been much discussion regarding his successor. Grimsby born Melanie Onn is a former Labour party staffer and Union organiser, selected from an all women short-list, all factors her rivals have been quick to criticise.

UKIP candidate Victoria Ayling ran in Grimsby as a Conservative PPC in 2010, reducing Labour’s majority to just 714 votes. A barrister and councillor, Ayling is also keen to showcase her Grimsby based business credentials, although has provoked controversy for remarks on immigration – having been filmed saying she would “send the lot back”. More recently, she was the subject of ridicule on Twitter for asking “what happens when the renewable energy runs out?”, although she has since reported that she misspoke and was referring to limited subsidies for renewables.

The Conservative and Liberal Democrat share of the vote is likely to be minimal, although both are fielding councillors with a strong local track record – Conservative candidate Marc Jones is the Chairman of the Lincoln Conservative Association as well as a school governor and local business owner, while the Lib Dems’ Steve Beasant has lived in Grimsby for his whole life.