TORY Julian Lewis is hoping to win New Forest East for the fifth time when voters go to the polls next Thursday.

The former shadow defence minister has represented the constituency since it was created in 1997, replacing the old Romsey and Waterside seat.

The Liberal Democrats have always finished second in New Forest East but could be relegated to third or fourth place this time around.

Dr Lewis is facing a strong challenge from UKIP candidate Roy Swales, a retired soldier and former police officer who could tick all the boxes in the minds of many voters.

The New Forest is a staunchly Conservative part of Hampshire where Labour has never done well.

But one man determined to change that is the party’s candidate, Andrew Pope, who has excellent local links. He is a Southampton city councillor who represents Redbridge – just across the river from New Forest East.

Someone else who knows the area well is Green Party candidate Sally May, a town councillor in neighbouring New Forest West.

The other would-be MP battling for votes is professional engineer Bruce Tennent (Liberal Democrats), who describes himself as the only candidate who can beat the Tories in New Forest East.

One of the biggest issues in the constituency is the cash-strapped Totton College.

Politicians of all parties are concerned about the future of the college, which is scrapping its A-level curriculum later this year. The college hopes to join forces with another organisation in a bid to secure its future.

Other major issues in the constituency include the growth of industry in Marchwood.

Villagers say the Waterside parish is being used as a dumping ground by companies that would never get planning permission to develop sites in more environmentally sensitive areas.

Earlier this year more than 200 people staged a demonstration against plans to build an anaerobic digestion plant between Marchwood and Eling.

Campaigners claim the proposed development will create extra traffic problems in an area already “overloaded” with industrial sites.

Residents are also worried about the future of Marchwood Military Port, which is about to be leased to a private operator by the Ministry of Defence.

The preferred bidder is a company partly-owned by the Scottish Government.

Solent Gateway Ltd was launched last year by two existing businesses, one of which has only one shareholder – a company called Scottish Ministers.

But many campaigners are more concerned about the other firm involved in the venture. Its main source of income is car imports and exports, sparking fears that traffic problems in the Marchwood area are about to get a whole lot worse.

Marchwood councillor Alison Hoare said: “Our roads are almost at the point of gridlock. I don’t think Bury Road and Jacobs Gutter Lane can take any more.”

Daily Echo:

  • NEW Forest East has existed since 1997, when the old New Forest constituency was divided.

It has an electorate of 73,542, of whom 50,036 voted at the last general election in 2010 – producing a highly respectable turnout of 68.7 per cent.

The constituency includes Totton, the largest town in the Forest, as well as the heavily populated and industrialised areas of Fawley and Marchwood.

It also contains Lyndhurst, the administrative capital of the Forest, and the equally affluent Brockenhurst.

In many ways New Forest East is natural Tory territory. It has a higher than average proportion of retired people and a smaller than average amount of social housing and rented accommodation.

But Totton was a Liberal Democrat stronghold until fairly recently and the party has always enjoyed strong support in Hythe and Dibden.

Julian Lewis has been the constituency’s one and only MP since it was created almost 20 years ago.

General election result in 2010:

Conservative: Julian Lewis, 26,443 votes, +3.4 per cent.

Liberal Democrat: Terry Scriven, 15,136 votes, -3 per cent.

Labour: Peter Sopowski, 4,915 votes, - 2.4 per cent.

UKIP: Peter Day, 2,518 votes, -0.1 per cent.

Green: Beverley Golden, 1,024 votes, +2 per cent.