BRIGHTON Pavilion made history in 2010 by voting in the country’s first Green MP so its loss at the polls this time would be a major blow for the party’s standing.

Caroline Lucas has certainly got herself noticed during her five years in Parliament and offers a genuinely alternative voice to the consensus in the Commons.

The fact she is a political outlier with outspoken views is likely to see her collect a large proportion of the younger vote.

A key factor will be how successful she has been in distancing herself from the Green-led Brighton and Hove City Council, which has become unpopular among some residents.

Labour pushed her hard last time and could do so again with the very capable Purna Sen, who seems to have been chosen in part because she has similarly strong credentials on international and feminist issues to her Green rival.

There is a sense, though, that nationally Labour is putting more emphasis on Brighton Kemptown and Hove, with Pavilion a wonderful bonus if they could turn the whole city red.

Latest YouGov polling gives the Greens a 6.7% lead so no one will be resting on their laurels. In 2010, Conservative candidate Charlotte Vere turned the Pavilion campaign into a three-way battle but latest polling suggests Conservative candidate Clarence Mitchell, who was media spokesman for the Madeleine McCann family, may be less of a factor this time, although he is predicted to increase his party’s share of the vote.

That is because the Liberal Democrat vote is predicted to at least halve from five years ago, with many of students expected to punish Nick Clegg for his failure to deliver on tuition fee promises.

Ukip is predicted to make gains on its small support in 2010 – significant enough to make it the constituency’s fourth party, but not enough to match candidate Nigel Carter’s bold predictions of a four-horse race.

Outside of the main parties, voters have the option of voting for Socialist Party’s Howard Pilott and two independent candidates with interesting backgrounds – care manager Nick Yeomans and former sex worker Charlotte Rose.

Introducing the main Brighton Pavilion candidates

Clarence Mitchell – Conservative
As a resident of Brighton, I am only too aware of the huge challenges facing our wonderful city.

For too long, the Pavilion constituency has had a “lone voice of protest” MP who, despite her personal commitment and passion for her own national and international left-wing agenda, has not been in a position to effect or deliver real, positive change for the city itself.

And, after years of similarly ideologically driven but administratively naive Green rule on the city council, often supported by Labour, our city must fulfil its true potential once again with the return of common sense Conservative policies. As a former journalist, civil servant and private sector managing director, I know I can be the strong voice in Parliament that the city centre now needs.

Our long-term economic plan is fixing the UK economy and bringing huge benefits to Brighton in the process.

As your MP, I will work tirelessly to secure that prosperity further for Brighton in everything I do.

Caroline Lucas – Green
I want to continue representing our wonderful city because I think Brighton deserves better than the ‘business as usual’ on offer from the big parties.

Last year I won the MP of the Year Award in recognition of my work in our communities and I have a proven track record of standing up fearlessly to fight austerity, champion a truly public NHS, protect our local schools, tackle the housing crisis, return our railways into public ownership and oppose tuition fees.

I’ve had the courage of my convictions and taken concrete action on these and many other issues, leading on holding the Coalition to account and pushing other MPs to be more progressive.

I have been a strong, independent-minded MP, able to stand up for what’s best for local people and Brighton, rather than following the orders of party bosses or rich donors.

This election is one of the most uncertain of our lifetimes but you can be certain, whoever is in government, if re-elected I’ll tirelessly hold them to account.

Purna Sen – Labour
I am deputy director of the Institute of Public Affairs at the London School of Economics, where I previously set up and ran a leadership programme and ran an MSc degree.

I am also a member of the board of RISE, providing services on violence against women in Brighton, and an advisor to Justice for Gay Africans.

I have also served as head of human rights for the Commonwealth Secretariat and as director for the Asia-Pacific Programme at Amnesty International. My work has covered various aspects of discrimination and inequality, in the UK and beyond.

My over-riding concern is those who are politically or economically marginalised find a respected place in society and can enjoy lives of dignity.

I came though the state education system and chose to send my children to state schools because I believe those who eat, play and learn together go on to build a society at ease with itself.

Chris Bowers – Liberal Democrat
I’m Chris Bowers. If you follow tennis on TV or radio, you may know my name because I commentate for Eurosport, ESPN and internet media, and I was a member of the BBC 5 Live team at Wimbledon for 12 years.

I also work in the environmental movement, I’m a councillor and the biographer of my party leader.

I’ve always been interested in politics but decided to stand for election when I fully realised the importance of a healthy political system. My father came to Britain as a refugee from Nazi Germany in 1938, my grandfather spent 12 days in a concentration camp but got out, so I have family experience of what can happen when people get too dismissive of politics.

To me, the biggest issue is the environment because without a healthy environment all else is secondary. I’ve chosen to make my contribution through the Lib Dems, not Greens because you have to take people with you. I’ve lived just outside Brighton since 1998 and would be proud to represent Pavilion’s residents in Parliament.

Nigel Carter – Ukip
I am a semi-retired businessman who has worked primarily in market research at all levels and I am also a musical youth organiser and charity founder.

I have four daughters and have been a family carer having cared for my parents in their later years until my mother passed away, aged 86 in 2009.

My family came to Brighton when my father, Douglas Carter, a Second World War Navigator (Flight Lieutenant), then international architect, settled in Hove in 1975 with his own architectural practice in Palmeira Square. As a Ukip candidate, I believe in democracy and personal freedom without discrimination, the Commonwealth, free trade, free enterprise, community responsibility and care for each other especially the young, old and vulnerable, free education from toddler to job – no tuition or vocation fees.

I want to see a restoration of national sovereignty to empower voters again. We should leave the EU, which only represents 17% of world trade, and get free trade and movement deal like the Swiss and focus on the other 83% of global trade.

Lewes

The big question for long-serving Norman Baker is can he avoid the widely touted decimation of his party that faces a nationwide backlash after five years in coalition with the Conservatives.

The fact that Lewes rarely goes with the status quo and that Mr Baker is a break-the-mould politician will probably make the national mood irrelevant.

The independent-minded Mr Baker has proven to be far from a Conservative stooge during his time as a minister, clashing with Home Secretary Theresa May on several occasions.

He will be pushed all the way by former Brighton and Hove City Councillor Maria Caulfield who is part of a Conservative power couple with vice president of the party’s national convention Steve Bell, with the pair set to marry after the election.

If she is to have a double celebration this summer, she will have to overcome a majority of almost 8,000.

Norman Baker – Liberal Democrat
Maria Caulfield – Conservative
Ray Finch – Ukip
Lloyd Russell-Moyle – Labour
Alfie Stirling – Green

Worthing West
Long-standing MP Sir Peter Bottomley is the red-hot favourite to extend his stay in Parliament beyond 40 years in Worthing West.

It is a Conservative stronghold that is less likely to see an exodus to Ukip than neighbouring East Worthing and Shoreham.

Rivals are pitting experience against experience with former Brighton borough councillor David Aherne standing as a Green candidate and Ukip’s Tim Cross standing as he did in 2005, 2001 and 1997.

David Aherne – Green
Peter Bottomley – Conservative
Tim Cross – Ukip
Hazel Thorpe – Liberal Democrat

Eastbourne
Another seat likely to see a battle between yellow and blue as Liberal Democrat Stephen Lloyd battles to hold on to a majority of little more than 3,000.

Again the national picture may well play a pivotal role in deciding the direction of the floating voter, although Mr Lloyd has gained many admirers for his work in the wake of the fire at the pier last summer.

Conservative challenger Caroline Ansell has been a passionate voice on the overhaul of the A27 and is likely to be thanked by residents for her hard campaigning.

The town now seems to be on the up, with an expansion of The Arndale and town centre makeover and so Mr Lloyd and his colleagues leading the council could see that feel-good factor turn into votes at the ballot box.

The council is also on a knife-edge between Conservatives and Liberal Democrats so the elections will have much significance.

Caroline Ansell – Conservative
Andrew Durling – Green
Paul Howard – Independent
Nigel Jones – Ukip
Jake Lambert – Labour
Stephen Lloyd – Liberal Democrat