Ivor Caplin has said his fight to be re-elected as MP for Hove could be a close-run thing.

In the run-up to the election he has always dismissed Tory candidate Jenny Langston's chances of winning.

Mr Caplin overturned a Conservative majority of more than 12,000 to win the seat for Labour at the last election.

When Tony Blair heard that Hove had fallen to Labour by nearly 4,000 votes he knew he was heading for power.

The victory was rewarded by his appointment as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Margaret Beckett.

But in his latest election leaflet Mr Caplin admits: "It is going to be close, despite what the polls say.

"Hove and Portslade could go either way, Labour or Tory. No other party can win."

He told us: "I am definitely not saying that I might lose.

"I am absolutely determined not to be complacent or to take the voters for granted.

"The message I am giving to Labour supporters is that it is going to be close, so get out and vote on June 7.

"The opinion polls are showing that nationally Labour has 54 per cent of the vote.

"At the last election I had around 45 per cent of the vote and, realistically I am not going to get it up to 54 per cent.

"If I can increase my share of the vote by a few more per centage points this time, I will feel I have done well."

In his letter, Mr Caplin goes on to point out some of the successes both he and the Labour government had achieved over the last four years.

Mr Caplin said he has helped more than 10,000 people who have seen or written to him about their problems.

He added: "The national minimum wage has benefited 2,000 people locally.

"Unemployment has been more than halved, hospital waiting lists are down and we have kept our promise to reduce infant class sizes.

"This didn't happen by accident. It happened because people in Hove and Portslade voted Labour last time.

"I believe that I, too, have made a difference. I have been working in parliament and locally, speaking up for my local community."