BATTLE lines have been drawn as the General Election contenders hit the campaign trail this week.

"Make it Mark again" will be the message from Lib-Dem, Mark Oaten, as he launches his campaign to be re-elected as Winchester's MP. As the Prime Minister announced May 5th as the date for the General Election, Mr Oaten set out his key issues for Winchester, pledging to:

* Protect greenfield and city areas from over-development.

* Keep key services at the local hospitals and provide more NHS dentists.

* Provide additional police with greater technology to help fight crime.

* Abolish tuition fees.

Mr Oaten said: "I hope that, in my eight years as MP, I've earned people's trust as somebody who works hard both locally and in Westminster. It's been exhausting at times, but a real privilege.

"I want to continue to work for the area and use my position in Parliament to increase the numbers of police, bring an end to tuition fees and improve the resources in our local hospitals.

"I hope that, in the weeks ahead, we can have a campaign that is clean and free from personality attacks. I have a high regard for my opponents and pledge today that I will not get involved in personal attacks, but build a positive case for voting for the Liberal Democrats and re-electing me as your MP."

His call is echoed by Tory hopeful, George Hollingbery, who launched his campaign this week by unveiling his own website, www.george hollingbery.com, with a round-robin e-mail urging supporters to visit it and pass on the address.

Visitors to the website may read Mr Hollingbery's campaign web log in which he says Lib-Dem rival, Mark Oaten, telephoned him earlier this week.

"Mark called me last night just to have a chat before the campaign starts-a nice gesture," he says. "I don't know if or when our paths will cross but, if they do, I'm sure it will be good-humoured."

Information on the site includes where Mr Hollingbery stands on local issues such as Barton Farm, council tax, planning and the current health service crisis and visitors may contact him by e-mail under the website's "Dear George" section.

OLIVER'S ARMY...

SHADOW chancellor, Oliver Letwin, called into Winchester on Tuesday to answer questions from several pensioners about benefits and council tax.

He popped into the constituency office, which is part of the railway station, on his way to Southampton to unveil the party's policy on pensions and kickstart the Tory election campaign.

He said that, if elected, the Conservatives would cut council tax by 50% for households with two adults over 65, which, he added, would help five million people.

Mr Letwin also promised to increase the basic state pension.

He said this would mean fewer pensioners would rely on means-tested pensions and added that he would not take away benefits currently in place.

One of his interrogators was Shirley Howell, a pensioner from Martyr Worthy, near Winchester, who said afterwards: "You read so much in the papers about these promises that I wanted to hear it from the horse's mouth."

Labour HOPES ARE PINNED ON PATRICK

PATRICK Davies, the long-serving Winchester city councillor, will contest the seat for Labour at the General Election.

It will be the third time that Mr Davies (61) has stood for his party in the city.

"I am going to run a positive campaign. The Government has a good message to put forward," he said.

"It has delivered a great deal locally, funding a new building at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital and new schools in and around Winchester, which have improved massively because of investment from the Government.

"The Liberals and Conservatives are playing the same tune. They don't say what they will do if elected, what policies they would put in place of ours. The only alternative to Labour is a coalition with the Tories."

Mr Davies said that he thought that Mark Oaten, MP for Winchester since 1997, had "done a lot of damage".

He added: "He misleads people by making them think he has influence he doesn't actually have. His meddling in planning has been disastrous."

ARTHUR PENDRAGON, STANDING FOR 'TRUTH'

ARTHUR Pendragon, druid and environmental campaigner, is standing in the Winchester constituency as an Independent candidate in the General Election.

A veteran of environmental protest, he campaigned against the M3 Twyford cut and against the destruction of ecologically-sensitive meadowland, which had been promised to the people of Winchester, at Bar End.

He says he will be fighting the seat on an environmental and libertarian platform, "standing for truth, honour, justice and free independent politics".