Farmer Jim Fordham is a Tory councillor, his daughter-in-law is a Labour parliamentary hopeful and his niece is married to a Lib Dem candidate.

In the fields around their farm in Little Horsted, near Uckfield, where Mr Fordham, 74, has put up blue campaign posters during the last 14 years, his daughter-in-law Kathy is now erecting red placards pleading with the public to vote her in as the new Wealden MP.

Meanwhile, Mark Oaten, 37, who initially clinched his seat at the 1997 General Election by just two votes, is pleased she will wear a yellow rosette with him during the campaign.

Social worker Kathy said: "Growing up in the North of England during the Thatcher years and the miners' strike meant there was no other option for me but to vote Labour. I agreed with the party's sense of community. I felt the Tories had tried to develop a selfish generation."

Kathy had been moaning about how the political situation could be improved when a friend suggested she join the Labour Party in 1995.

By this time she was already living with Mr Fordham's son, Michael, at Bradford's Farm where Conservative campaign posters had been foremost since 1987.

Kathy and Michael got married in 1998 and the following year she was elected as the Labour councillor on Uckfield Town Council.

She said: "There are some points my father-in-law agrees with me on, including agriculture. But I believe you have to be a bit selfish to be a Tory.

"I would not say that to Jim but I can't understand why he is a Conservative because he is such a nice man. Perhaps it is more habit than belief."

Mr Fordham, who lives on the farm with his wife Marjorie, close to Kathy and Michael, said his allegiance to the Tories was inherited.

Now the chairman of Wealden District Council, he said: "I was brought up to support the Conservatives but they also stand up for the British and I don't believe we should be pushed around by other countries.

"I liked Mrs Thatcher because you knew where you stood with her. But I do not think Conservatives are selfish. If you go back in history there have always been divisions between the rich and poor.

"I have had a lot of help from people who were Tories but I believe you have to stand on your own two feet as well.

"Kathy has always been different to what we knew and we try not to talk about our politics. People have the right to support whichever party they want and she has done a good job as councillor."

The family had to cope with more political diversity when Mr Fordham's niece, Belinda, met Mark Oaten, an SDP councillor for Watford Borough Council in the Eighties.

He said: "My opening remark to Belinda was how did she vote. Fortunately she had also voted SDP."

He was lucky his wife voted for him four years ago helping him to become MP for Winchester. Conservative candidate Gerry Malone's wife did not vote for him, allowing Mark to win the contest initially by two votes.

A recount was ordered and eventually Mark won a larger victory.

He said: "When I met Belinda's family they did not know how to deal with me because I was the first non-farmer and non-Conservative to join them.

"But she is now a Liberal Democrat supporter and I expect she will be voting for me again at the forthcoming election."