Battleground Anglia: Colchester

Colchester is one of the four seats the Liberal Democrats won in the Anglia region at the 2010 General Election. Credit: ITV News Anglia

Colchester, in Essex, is Britain's earliest recorded town, the Roman Camulodunum.

Colchester has a mixed economy, with little heavy industry, but two successful industrial parks. Among the largest employers are Essex University, which contributes about £60m a year to the local economy, and the army garrison, with about 5,000 direct jobs. Redevelopment of the garrison has created a new urban village with 2,600 homes and community facilities.

Regeneration projects are under way in some areas, including Hythe, which suffered from the closure of Colchester as a port.

  • Liberal Democrat majority in 2010: 6,982

  • Second safest Lib Dem seat in the Anglia region and the party's 18th safest seat in the UK

  • The Conservatives would need a swing of 8% to win in 2015 and Labour would need a 18% swing

Sir Bob Russell has been the Liberal Democrat MP since 1997 and is the longest serving Lib Dem in the Anglia region.

Colchester was held by the Conservatives from 1950 until 1997 while Labour won the seat immediately after the Second World War and held it for a single term.

Conservative peer Lord Ashcroft has been conducting opinion polls in marginal seats across the UK.

In a snapshot poll in November 2014, the Liberal Democrats were ahead of the Conservatives by 36% to 22%. UKIP were polling at 18% while Labour were on 17%

Candidates in 2015

  • Mark Goacher - Green

  • Jordan Newell - Labour

  • John Pitts - UKIP

  • Will Quince - Conservative

  • Sir Bob Russell - Liberal Democrat

  • Ken Scrimshaw - Christian Peoples Alliance