THE Conservatives will be hoping to stem the Liberal Democrat tide in Westmorland and Lonsdale when voters head to the polls on May 7.

The seat is at the centre of a five-way battle between Liberal Democrat Tim Farron, Conservative Dr Ann Myatt, Labour’s John Bateson, Ukip’s Alan Piper and Dr Chris Loynes, for the Green Party.

The area stretches from the coastal town of Arnside to honeypot towns in the heart of the Lakes, from Sedbergh in the east and to Milnthorpe in the south.

Major issues in the constituency are likely to include affordable housing, the plight of hill farmers and the security of the Westmorland General Hospital. An ageing population, low pay in the tourism sector and ensuring the county’s police force keep a visible street presence are also likely to feature on voters’ wish-lists.

Having been a strong Conservative seat since its creation in 1983, it began to turn yellow in the 1997 General Election when a 16,436 Tory majority was slashed to 4,521 by Liberal Democrat Stan Collins.

Four years later and Mr Farron had superseded Mr Collins as the Lib Dem candidate.He missed out on the seat to sitting MP Tim Collins but cut the majority to 3,147.

In 2005 Mr Farron edged his way into power, beating Tory MP Tim Collins by 267 votes, following a tense recount.

Voters may have been expecting a Tory fightback in 2010 but it was a different story as Mr Farron swept home with a crushing 12,264 vote win over Gareth McKeever.The 11.1 per cent swing was the largest in the UK.

With 96.2 per cent of votes cast for either the Conservative or Liberal Democrat candidates, Westmorland and Lonsdale also had the highest combined share of the vote cast for the Coalition parties. The constituency also produced the lowest share of the vote for Labour with 2.2 per cent - but who will be smiling in the early hours of May 8?

Some Liberal Democrats supporters nationally have lost faith in the party for working with the Tories since 2010 - but Westmorland and Lonsdale is one of the few constituencies experts consider to remain a stronghold.

The party’s election leaflets suggest it is a two-horse race between themselves and the Conservatives. But John Bateson, of Oxenholme, Alan Piper, of Coniston and Dr Chris Loynes, of Ulverston, will all be hoping to make local connections count and spring a surprise.

There is likely to be added interest in the outcome with many political commentators speculating Mr Farron, should he win the seat, may run to become the next party leader if the Liberal Democrats perform badly at the election. A declaration is expected at Kendal Leisure Centre between 3am and 4am.

Meet the candidates:

JOHN Bateson (Labour) was educated at  Kendal Grammar School, the Co-operative College and Bradford University.
The 60-year-old, who lives in Oxenholme, has served as Kendal Mayor, was a Kendal town councillor between 2006-10 and now sits on Natland Parish Council. For 14 years he was a personal carer. 
He studied for a post compulsory teaching diploma in 2005/2006 and is now a semi-retired benefits adviser and external examiner.

UKIP’s Alan Piper was born in 1953 and brought up in Birkenhead on the Wirral.
He moved to London in 1975, where he lived for 25 years and worked in Information Technology, project management for banks and spent some time working in insurance.
He left the capital in 2000 and now runs the eight-bedroomed The Sun Inn in Coniston.
The 62-year-old has a daughter, who is still at school and a step-son, who is in the army.

ANN Myatt (Conservative) lives in Kendal and works as an NHS doctor at Westmorland General Hospital.
Her father worked in the chemical industry at Whitehaven and her mother was a teacher. After medical training in Leeds she worked in Manchester, where she met her first husband, and had two children and was also Chair of Governors at their village school. Her husband died when her children were teenagers but she has since remarried.

TIM Farron (Liberal Democrat) was born in Preston and educated at Lostock Hall High School and Runshaw College in Leyland before completing a BA in Politics at Newcastle University, where he was president of its Union Society.
Prior to his election to Parliament in 2005, he worked in higher education at Lancaster University and St Martin’s College, Ambleside.
The 44-year-old lives in Milnthorpe with his wife Rosie and four children, Isabella, Gracie, Jude and Laurie.

CHRIS Loynes (Green) was born in Hampshire. His family followed his naval father, living in villages near the ports of the South West. He attended school in Wells. 
He studied Geology at Sheffield University, became a secondary school teacher in Colchester before moving to Cumbria to become a youth worker. 
He started an educational consultancy in 1987 and is now a Reader at the Ambleside campus of the University of Cumbria.