STROUD is a key marginal seat with Conservative Neil Carmichael defending a 4,866 vote majority.

He first won the seat in 2010 from Labour incumbent David Drew who had held the seat since 1997.

It looks as though Mr Carmichael could hold on to his seat, but if Labour run a good campaign they could turn the voters of Stroud to the red side.

Leader of Stroud District Council Steve Lydon has said of the election: "Bring it on, the people of Stroud will have this opportunity to show their opposition to the Tories who are wrecking our NHS, causing record amounts of people to live in poverty and a national housing crisis."

No candidate has been put forward yet by the Labour Party, but the Greens are expected choose Gloucestershire County Councillor Sarah Lunnon.

The Greens will be looking to use their pro-EU stance to attract remain voters to their party during the campaign for, what has been described by Ms Lunnon as, “the most important general election of our lives.”

The Lib Dems will also be after support from 'remainers', they announced former journalist Max Wilkinson as their candidate, he said: “This election is a massive opportunity for voters in Stroud to change the direction of our country and prevent the Tory hard Brexit.”

No word on who the UKIP candidate will be yet, but they put out a statement saying: “We have, as a party, been planning for such an event and only UKIP can deliver a clean, efficient and genuine Brexit.”

2015 Result

Stroud News and Journal:

---------------

Majority – 4,866 – 8%

Turnout – 60,819 – 75.5%

---------------