Battleground Anglia: South West Bedfordshire

The Conservatives won the SW Bedfordshire constituency at the 2010 General Election with a majority of more than 17,000 votes.

This constituency of South West Bedfordshire is situated west across the M1 from Luton. The main centres of population in the constituency are Leighton Buzzard, Dunstable and Houghton Regis. Leighton Buzzard to the north and west has jobs in light industry and distribution and its proximity to the M1, A5 and good rail links to London and Milton Keynes make both towns natural commuter territory.

Tourism is an important local money-earner, with the Chiltern Hills, stately homes and Whipsnade Zoo among the attractions. The expansion of Luton Airport and regeneration projects in Luton following the closure of Vauxhall Motors have also brought more job opportunities to the constituency.

• Conservative majority in 2010: 16,649

• SW Beds is the ninth safest seat of the 69 constituencies in the Anglia region

• Labour would need a swing of 17% to win in 2015 and the Lib Dems would need a 16% swing

South West Bedfordshire has had a Conservative MP since 1970 but Labour held the seat from 1966 until 1970.

Although it became one of the safest seats in the Anglia region it has been marginal in the past. The Conservatives scraped in with majority of just 132 votes in 1997 and increased it to 776 votes in 2001 when the current MP, Andrew Selous, was first elected.

The constituency is part of the Central Bedfordshire unitary council area which was created in 2009. The council has been run by the Conservatives since it was formed.

Candidates in 2015

• Emily Lawrence - Green

• Stephen Rutherford - Liberal Democrat

• Daniel Scott - Labour

• Andrew Selous - Conservative

• John van Weenen - UKIP