All our area’s Conservative MPs had their biggest majorities yet in 2015, but will you back them again this year? Take part in our online poll to help us kick off the campaign.
As your community newspaper, the Comet will be keeping you up to date with all the General Election 2017 news, with rolling online polls over the next seven weeks to help us gauge how things might turn out.
Also please get in touch with your views on all the issues, parties and candidates by emailing news@thecomet.net and putting General Election 2017 in the subject box.
The coming days will be a hive of activity as the parties announce their candidates and hit the road on the campaign trail.
You will be bombarded with leaflets and debates about national issues ranging from Brexit and immigration to the NHS and housing.
Keep checking back here and we’ll try to help you make sense of it all.
And remember, we want to hear from you whatever your views and regardless of who you support.
Happy electioneering.
The Comet team.
For now, here’s a reminder of how you voted last time round.
Stevenage:
Conservative MP Stephen McPartland increased his share of the vote when he held on to his seat in Stevenage in a hotly contested race against Labour’s Sharon Taylor.
In 2010 Mr McPartland beat Ms Taylor by less than 3,000 votes, but in 2015 this increased to roughly 5,000.
David Collins, UKIP – 6,864
David Cox, Independent – 67
Charles Vickers, English Democrats –115
STEPHEN MCPARTLAND, Con – 21,291
Trevor Palmer, TUSC – 175
Sharon Taylor, Lab – 16,336
Susan Van De Ven, Lib Dem – 1,582
Graham White, Green – 1,369
Turnout: 67.7 per cent
Hitchin and Harpenden:
Conservative Peter Lilley was returned in the Hitchin and Harpenden constituency in 2015 with an increased majority after polling 31,408 votes – up from 29,869 in 2010.
Labour’s Rachel Burgin came second with 11,433 votes, up from the 7,413 votes Labour polled in 2010.
For Labour to win this time around would require an 18 per cent swing – with a Lib Dem victory needing a swing of 24 per cent.
Mr Lilley has been MP for Hitchin and Harpenden since 1997. Before that he served St Albans from 1983.
Rachel Burgin, Lab - 11,433
PETER LILLEY, Con - 31,408
Pauline Pearce, Lib Dem - 4,484
John Stocker, UKIP - 4,917
Richard Wise, Green - 3,053
Turnout: 72.16 per cent
North East Hertfordshire:
In North East Hertfordshire. Conservative Sir Oliver Heald has held the seat since its creation in 1997, and won with a majority of 19,080 two years ago – his largest majority yet.
Sir Oliver was previously MP for the former North Hertfordshire constituency from 1992.
William Compton, UKIP – 6,728
SIR OLIVER HEALD, Con – 28,949
Joe Jordan, Lib Dem – 3,952
Mario May, Green – 2,789
Chris York, Lab – 9,869
Turnout: 70.7 per cent
North East Bedfordshire:
North East Bedfordshire has been solidly Conservative since it was created in 1997, with incumbent Alistair Burt as MP since 2001. His majority last time round was 25,644, his largest majority to date.
Saqhib Ali, Lab – 9,247
Mark Bowler, Green – 2,537
ALISTAIR BURT, Con – 34,891
Peter Morris, Lib Dem – 3,418
Adrianne Smyth, UKIP – 8,579
Turnout: 70.2 per cent
Mid Bedfordshire:
In this constituency Conservative Nadine Dorries won a third term in 2015 with a 54 per cent share of the vote, her biggest to date.
NADINE DORRIES, Con – 32,544
Gareth Ellis, Green – 2,462
Tim Ireland, Independent – 384
Linda Jack, Lib Dem – 4,193
Ann Kelly, Monster Raving Loony – 294
Charlynne Pullen, Lab – 9,217
Nigel Wickens, UKIP – 8,966
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