Dorset's fierce political battleground

The land of Thomas Hardy is blessed with a wonderful climate and beautiful countryside.

Two good reasons so many people like to move there to retire.

But Dorset is about a lot more than pensioners and agriculture - it is a land of fierce battles and surprises.

Dorset South - home to the Bovington Tank Museum - has been the scene of some ferocious contests.

The seat is currently held by the Labour MP, and cabinet minister, Jim Knight.

Through the Thatcher years it was a Tory stronghold but the election of 1997 put the constituency on a knife-edge. Labour finally tipped it over with a majority of just 153 in 2001.

Doctored literature

At the next election, Conservative hopes of winning it back drained away when their candidate was pilloried for doctored election literature.

But this time they are back with a vengeance with candidate Richard Drax and Labour will have to fight hard to hang on.

Of the eight MPs elected in the county six are Conservatives.

North Dorset is a rural constituency, centred on the county town, Shaftesbury.

There's a tradition of Liberal Democrat challenge, this time from Emily Gasson, but Robert Walter has held back the tide with a majority of about 3,000 for the last three elections.

In West Dorset, leading Conservative Oliver Letwin has also had to campaign hard to beat the Lib Dems and his majority of 2,461 means he is still a target and Lib Dem candidate Susan Farrant could come through.

The Lib Dems did manage to break through in Mid Dorset and North Poole in 2001.

MP Annette Brooke increased her majority from 681 to 5,482 votes at the last election - against the general trend - but with a new Conservative contender, Nick King, this will be another to watch.

The Dorset motto is "Who's a'feard?". With these small majorities, you would think all of the local politicians are.

Control of local authorities has swung backwards and forwards but they have been united in crying foul over their grant settlement from local government.

Employment has remained above average and land values in places like Sandbanks are equivalent to Mayfair in London.

But the consequence of this is that public services find they receive relatively less support from central government.

As the lowest funded authority in the country per head of population, how to get more from social services, education and roads are all live issues in Dorset.

Bournemouth and Poole is one of the largest urban areas in the South West.

Control of the two unitary authorities has swung from Lib Dem to Conservative in recent years, but of the three Conservative-held parliamentary seats Bournemouth West, where MP John Butterfill is stepping down, sees the greatest Labour vote.

Finally, Christchurch. Apart from the distinction of having the greatest number of voting pensioners in the country, the volatility of the region is shown by the astonishing by-election swing of 35% achieved by Lib Dem Diana Maddock in 1993.

However, it did not last and Conservative Christopher Chope now sits on a majority of 15,500.

More evidence of the changeable nature of Dorset politics.

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The candidates standing for election so far in Bournemouth East are: Tobias Ellwood (Con), David Stokes (Lab), Lisa Northover (Lib Dem) David Hughes (UKIP), David Shaw (Independent).

The candidates standing for election so far in Bournemouth West are: Conor Burns (Con), Sharon Carr-Brown (Lab), Alasdair Murray (Lib Dem), Phillip Glover (UKIP), Harvey Taylor (Independent).

The candidates standing for election so far in Christchurch are: Christopher Chope (Con), Robert Deeks (Labour), Martyn Hurll (Lib Dem).

The candidates standing for election so far in Mid Dorset and North Poole are: Annette Brooke (Lib Dem), Nick King (Con), Darren Brown (Labour), Dave Evans (UKIP).

The candidates standing for election so far in North Dorset are: Robert Walter (Con), Mike Bunney (Labour), Emily Gasson (Lib Dem), Anna Hayball (Green), Jeremy Nieboer (UKIP).

The candidates standing for election so far in Poole are: Robert Syms (Con), Philip Eades (Lib Dem), Jason Sanderson (Lab), David Williams (UKIP).

The candidates standing for election so far in South Dorset are: Jim Knight (Lab), Richard Drax (Con), Rosamond Kayes (Lib Dem), Brian Heatley (Green).

The candidates standing for election so far in West Dorset are: Oliver Letwin (Con), Susan Farrant (Lib Dem), Steve Bick (Lab), J. Susan Greene (Green).