Constituency Profile: Stockton South

The constituency of Stockton South includes relatively affluent areas like Yarm and Eaglescliffe.

The seat has been held by Labour, the SDP and the Conservatives since its formation in 1983.

The Conservatives won the seat in 2010 with a paper-thin majority of just 332 votes.

It is now one of two Labour ‘battleground target seats’ in the North East, along with Redcar.

UKIP is also hoping to attract support here: Nigel Farrage visited Yarm before the European elections last year.

James Wharton (Conservative) won the seat in 2010. He was first elected that year and is standing again.

The 2010 result:

Conservative: 19,577 (38.93%)

Labour: 19,245 (38.27%)

Liberal Democrats: 7,600 (15.11%)

BNP: 1,553 (3.09%)

UKIP: 1,471 (2.93%)

Christian: 302 (0.6%)

Independent: 536 (1.07%)

Majority: 332 (0.66%)

The 2015 candidates:

Louise Baldock (Labour)

Drew Durning (Lib Dem)

Edward Strike (UKIP)

James Wharton (Con)

Steve Walmsley (Independent)

Jacqui Lovell (Green Party)