Battleground Anglia: Rutland & Melton

The Conservatives won the Rutland & Melton constituency at the 2010 General Election with a majority of 14,000 votes. Credit: ITV News Anglia

Lying just south of Nottingham, Rutland and Melton is one of the most rural constituencies in the country.

It consists of the county unitary authority of Rutland, with the small market towns of Oakham and Uppingham. The largest town in the seat is Melton Mowbray.

  • Conservative majority in 2010: 14,000

  • Labour would need a swing of 18% to win in 2015 and the Lib Dems would need a 13% swing

The area has returned a Conservative MP at every election since the Second World War.

Sir Alan Duncan has been the Conservative for Rutland and Melton since 1992. For most of this parliament he has been International Development Minister.

Candidates in 2015

  • Richard Billington - UKIP

  • Sir Alan Duncan - Conservative

  • Marilyn Gordon - Independent

  • Alastair McQuillan - Green

  • James Moore - Labour

  • Ed Reynolds - Liberal Democrats