LABOUR will be looking to take back Morecambe and Lunesdale as the five political candidates standing in the constituency battle for the support of the local electorate.

Conservative David Morris is defending a 4,590 majority having been re-selected to stand for the party that has held the seat since 2010.

Prior to the Conservative's rise to power, the seat had been held by Labour since Tony Blair's landslide victory in 1997.

In 2015, the Conservatives won 19,691 votes (45.5 per cent of the vote) while Labour polled 15,101 (34.9 per cent).

Standing for Labour is new candidate Vikki Singleton. Also standing for the first time in the constituency are Cait Sinclair for the Greens, and Robert Gillespie for UKIP.

Matthew Severn returns to compete on behalf of the Liberal Democrats, having done so in 2015, when he secured 13 per cent of the vote.

The constituency covers much of the rural area north of Lancaster, and includes Carnforth, Silverdale in the west, and stops just south of Kirkby Lonsdale.

Important areas that fall within it are Heysham, as well as the renowned Morecambe sands.

Central issues that the candidates are seeking to address include reviving Morecambe's reputation as a tourism hotspot and the expansion of Heysham's power plant.

"I have been MP for seven years and I've transformed the area completely," said Mr Morris. "We have new defences and a new shopping centre in Morecambe coming very soon.

"Should I get re-elected, my main project is what I have been working on and will continue to work on, which is a business park for Morecambe now that we have the link road.

"I deliver on what I say and I am known for doing that."

Vikki Singleton stressed the importance of families being able to grow up in a thriving part of the north west.

She said she wanted Morecambe and Lunesdale to be a place where 'people have a good standard of living, decent jobs and where our children have access to education that values them as individuals without being reliant on whether their parents can pay for their schooling.'

Liberal Democrat Matthew Severn said his first priority was to get Heysham Three agreed, as he believes it is vital to move forward with providing energy for the country and the area.

Also high on the Liberal Democrat agenda is ensuring the UK remains in the single market, which will affect Heysham port. Mr Severn is also committed to ensuring hospitals in the area receive significant funding from the party's pledged £6 billion for the NHS.

Both the Greens and UKIP are keen to revive tourism in the area.

The Greens' Cait Sinclair suggests this is best done through the support of small local business and culture.

Ms Sinclair said she has also made it clear that she will be campaigning against fracking, for better insulation of homes and for greater use of renewable energy sources.

Robert Gillespie, of UKIP, said: "The town needs long term investment which will help local businesses and create jobs for local people. Trying to cut car park charges in the town centre will also greatly assist. The promenade and the Winter Gardens also need help with improvements.

“We need more affordable social housing for local people and veterans to give them a start for the future," he said.