TWO Hampshire seats have had the same MPs since they were created 20 years ago – and Conservatives are going all out to ensure nothing changes.

Veteran Tories Dr Julian Lewis and Sir Desmond Swayne have represented New Forest East and New Forest West respectively since boundary changes resulted in the former constituencies of New Forest and Romsey & Waterside being abolished in 1997.

Two years after retaining their seats in the last general election Dr Lewis and Sir Desmond are striving to be re-elected once again.

In 2015 Dr Lewis received 19,000 more votes than his closest challenger, UKIP candidate Roy Swales.

This time UKIP is standing aside in both New Forest seats after deciding not to field candidates in constituencies held by pro-Brexit MPs.

Issues in the district include soaring house prices, especially those in the National Park, and the increasingly difficult struggle faced by young people who want to remain in the area where they grew up.

Foxhunting is back on the agenda after Theresa May pledged a free vote on whether the Bill outlawing hunting with dogs should be repealed.

The New Forest Hounds have had to stage trail hunting, which involves hounds chasing an artificial scent, since the Hunting Act came into force in 2005.

Other issues include the large number of animals killed or injured on Forest roads every year. Campaigners want the 40mph speed limit on all unfenced roads reduced to 30mph to cut the carnage.

Brexit, climate change and tuition fees are among the other issues being raised on doorsteps across the district.

In New Forest East many voters are worried about the future of Dibden Bay, an environmentally-sensitive area of reclaimed coastline between Hythe and Marchwood.

Controversial plans to turn the 500-acre site into a huge container terminal were rejected by the last Labour government, but Associated British Ports (ABP) says Southampton docks needs to expand.

Council chiefs have warned that new plans to develop Dibden Bay could be unveiled by ABP before the end of the year.

Other issues include the future of Marchwood Military Port, which has been handed over to a commercial operator by the Ministry of Defence. People living near the 300-acre site are still waiting to learn what Solent Gateway Ltd is planning to do with the land.

Dr Lewis’s rivals include Liberal Democrat David Harrison, county councillor for Totton and Marchwood and leader of the opposition group on the district council.

Brockenhurst parish councillor Henry Mellor is standing for the Green Party and Julie Renyard represents Labour’s hopes of winning the seat.

Dr Lewis says only a Conservative victory will deliver a Brexit that works for the United Kingdom.

But Cllr Harrison claims a hard Brexit is opposed by business leaders because of what it could mean to Britain’s trade and the country’s standing in the world.

Julie Renyard says voters in New Forest East are suffering from continuing cuts and is pledging a better future for everyone if Labour is elected.

Cllr Mellor wants to see increased investment in technology, more action to combat climate change and a reduction in the voting age to 16.

In New Forest West Sir Desmond is defending a majority of more than 20,000.

The four rival candidates are Labour’s Jo Graham, Des Hjerling from the Pirate Party UK, Green Party member Janet Richards and Liberal Democrat Terry Scriven, who has previously stood in New Forest East.

Jo Graham said that despite the Forest being a prosperous area many people were poorly paid and found local housing to be unaffordable.

Mr Hjerling is pledging to put the constituency first, saying he would not be governed by a party whip and was thus a better choice than the Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative candidates.

Mr Scriven, who has lived in Fordingbridge for 21 years, criticised what he described as the under-funding of schools in the area.

Janet Richards, a parish councillor at Martin, near Fordingbridge, was the Green Party candidate in New Forest West in 2015 and received 2,748 votes.

A founder of a local co-operative and community farm, Futurefarms, she describes herself as “passionate” about the countryside.

She is also pledging, if elected, to do everything she can to keep fracking out of the New Forest as well as increasing the supply of affordable housing.