STOKE-ON-TRENT NORTH

One of the safest Labour seats in the country. Joan Walley has been the MP since 1983, and while the size of her majority has been falling, she still won by more than 10,000 votes in 2005. The Conservatives' Andrew Large, right, is likely to be Mrs Walley's closest rival, with John Fisher standing for the Lib Dems and Melanie Baddeley for the BNP.

Four Kidsgrove wards which had previously been part of the Staffordshire Moorlands constituency have now been added to Stoke-on-Trent North, which could help boost Mrs Walley's majority. Geoffrey Locke will represent UKIP.

2005 result

Joan Walley LAB 16,191

Benjamin Browning CON 6,155

Henry Jebb LD 4,561

Spencer Cartlidge BNP 2,132

Eileen Braithwaite UKIP 696

Majority: 32.6 per cent (of votes)

STOKE-ON-TRENT CENTRAL

Although traditionally a safe Labour seat, the battle for Stoke-on-Trent Central is turning into one of the most intriguing in the country.

Veteran MP Mark Fisher's late decision to step down for health reasons prompted a controversial selection process which resulted in Cambridge-educated historian Tristram Hunt, left, being chosen as his heir apparent. Ex-Labour activist Gary Elsby, right, protesting against Mr Hunt's selection, will be standing as an independent candidate. Former city BNP leader Alby Walker, former councillor Paul Breeze and deputy leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council Brian Ward will also be stranding as independents.

Trainee solicitor Norsheen Bhatti will represent the Conservatives, while John Redfern, a member of Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, will be the Lib Dem candidate.

The seat's importance to the BNP is demonstrated by the fact that deputy leader Simon Darby will be contesting it for the far-right party.

Carol Lovatt will stand for UKIP while Matthew Wright will be the Trade Unionist and Coalition candidate.

2005 result

Mark Fisher LAB 14,760

John Redfern LD 4,986

Esther Baroudy CON 4,823

Michael Coleman BNP 2,178

Joseph Bonfiglio UKIP 914

Majority: 35.0 per cent (of votes)

STOKE-ON-TRENT SOUTH

Rob Flello, left, retained the seat for Labour in 2005 with a majority of more than 8,000, but this year he could face a big challenge from the BNP. The far-right party has had two councillors in the Weston and Meir North ward, including Stoke-on-Trent South candidate Michael Coleman, right. James Rushton will contest the seat for the Conservatives, while Dr Zulfiqar Ali will be the Lib Dem candidate.

The UKIP candidate will be Mark Barlow, and Terry Follows, cabinet member for community safety on Stoke-on-Trent City Council, will be standing as an independent.

Mark Breeze, the 26-year-old son of Stoke-on-Trent Central candidate Paul Breeze, will also be standing as an independent.

Education could be a key issue, with Mr Follows and Mr Flello both claiming responsibility for saving Trentham High School, and the future of Longton's Edensor Technology College still uncertain.

2005 result

Rob Flello LAB 17,727

Mark Deaville CON 9,046

Andrew Martin LD 5,894

Mark Leat BNP 3,305

Neville Benson UKIP 1,043

Majority: 23.0 per cent (of votes)

NEWCASTLE-UNDER-LYME

Newcastle-born MP Paul Farrelly, left, will be confident of holding on to the traditionally safe Labour seat he first won in 2001, despite his party's failures in Newcastle in recent elections. All of Labour's county councillors in the borough lost their seats last year, while the party's control of Newcastle Borough Council ended in 2005 when a Conservative-Lib Dem coalition took the reins. Conservative candidate Robert Jenrick, a Shropshire-raised solicitor, will need a swing of more than 10 per cent to capture the seat for the Tories. Borough councillor Nigel Jones will be standing for the Lib Dems, and Andrew Dobson, right, for the Green Party. David Nixon will represent UKIP.

2005 result

Paul Farrelly LAB 18,053

Jeremy Lefroy CON 9,945

Trevor Johnson LD 7,528

David Nixon UKIP 1,436

John Dawson BNP 1,390

Majority: 20.4 per cent (of votes)

MOORLANDS

Labour MP Charlotte Atkins, left, faces a huge task in holding on to her seat in the Staffordshire Moorlands.

Boundary changes have meant that Kidsgrove, a traditionally Labour-voting area, has been transferred to the Stoke-on-Trent North constituency. If the 2005 election had been contested with these new boundaries, it is estimated that Labour would have lost to the Conservatives. As it was, Mrs Atkins won by a reduced majority of just 2,438 votes. Conservative candidate Karen Bradley will be hoping to capitalise on this. The other candidates will Henry Jebb, for the Lib Dems, and UKIP's Steve Povey, right.

2005 result

Charlotte Atkins LAB 18,126

Marcus Hayes CON 15,688

John Fisher LD 6,927

Steve Povey UKIP 3,512

Majority: 5.5 per cent (of votes)

STONE

Conservative Bill Cash, left, was one of the MPs who became embroiled in last year's expenses scandal, after it emerged he had paid his daughter Laetitia nearly £15,000 for her London flat, despite owning a home nearer to Westminster himself.

But Mr Cash won a vote of confidence from his constituency party, and earlier this year he successfully appealed against an order to repay the £14,840 he had claimed in expenses between April 2004 and April 2005. As such, it seems likely that Mr Cash will retain the safe Tory seat he first won in 1997.

Jo Lewis, right, will contest the seat for Labour, while Christine Tinker will be the Lib Dem candidate. The Green candidate will be Damian Hoppy. Andrew Ilsley will represent UKIP.

2005 result

Bill Cash CON 22,733

Mark Davis LAB 13,644

Richard Stevens LD 9,111

Mike Nattrass UKIP 1,548

Majority: 19.3 per cent (of votes)

STAFFORD

The failings of Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust are likely to sway voters in Stafford this year.

A damning Healthcare Commission report into the trust, which runs Stafford hospital, found that between 400 and 1,200 more people died than would have been expected in a three-year period from 2005 and 2008, due to appalling standards of care.

Even before the scandal broke, Stafford would have been seen as a key target for the Conservatives.

The majority of Labour MP David Kidney, left, was reduced to just over 2,000 in 2005, and if the Tories are to win this General Election, Stafford will be one of the seats they have to win.

Shadow Business Secretary Ken Clarke will be visiting Conservative candidate Jeremy Lefroy to help him launch his campaign today, demonstrating the seat's importance to the Tories.

The other candidates in Stafford include Barry Stamp for the Lib Dems, Roland Hynd for the BNP and Mike Shone for the Green Party.

2005 result

David Kidney LAB 19,889

David Chambers CON 17,768

Barry Stamp LD 6,390

Frederick Goode UKIP 1,507

Majority: 4.7 per cent (of votes)

CREWE AND NANTWICH

For 25 years, Crewe and Nantwich was represented in Parliament by fiercely independent Labour MP Gwyneth Dunwoody.

But in the by-election following Mrs Dunwoody's death in 2008, Conservative Edward Timpson, left, won a convincing victory. He polled nearly 8,000 more votes than Labour candidate Tamsin Dunwoody, Mrs Dunwoody's daughter.

Two years later, the Conservatives will be looking to consolidate their hold on Crewe and Nantwich.

David Williams hopes to win the seat back for Labour, while Lib Dem Roy Wood and independent Mike Parsons will also be standing.

2008 by-election result

Edward Timpson CON 20,539

Tamsin Dunwoody LAB 12,679

Elizabeth Shenton LD 6,040

Mike Nattrass UKIP 922

Majority: 18.9 per cent (of votes)

CONGLETON

Lady Ann Winterton will be standing down this year after 26 years as a Conservative MP. She made the decision to retire in the wake of the expenses scandal, when it emerged that Lady Winterton and her husband and fellow MP Sir Nicholas Winterton had claimed for a flat owned by a trust controlled by their children. Sir Nicholas, MP for Macclesfield, will also be standing down. But Congleton is likely to remain a safe Tory seat. Solicitor Fiona Bruce will be the Conservative candidate, who will be defending a majority of more than 8,000. Labour's candidate will be David Bryant, Peter Hirst, left, will represent the Lib Dems and Lee Slaughter UKIP.

2005 result

Ann Winterton CON 21,189

Nicholas Milton LAB 12,943

Eleanor Key LD 12,550

Majority: 17.7 per cent (of votes)