A POLITICAL battle has begun among several first-timers for what has been a safe Conservative seat since its creation in 1950.

Six candidates are in the running to represent the Penrith and the Border constituency - Independent Jonathan Davies, Liberal Democrat Neil Hughes, The Green Party's Doug Lawson, Labour's Lola McEvoy, UKIP's Kerryanne Wilde and Conservative Rory Stewart.

With the exception of Mr Hughes and Mr Stewart, everyone competing for votes in the most sparsely populated seat in England are standing as a candidate for the first time.

Penrith and The Border is the largest constituency in England, which includes the Northern Pennines, the northern Lake District, and the western section of Hadrian’s Wall.

Over the years it has been a Conservative safe seat, except for a 1983 by-election, where the Tories succeeded with a slim 1.4 per cent majority.

In 2015, Rory Stewart, who has been an MP for Penrith and Border since 2010, retained his seat by polling 26,202 votes, amounting to a 59.7 per cent share of the vote. Labour's Lee Rushworth, who came second, polled 6,308 votes.

High on the agenda for candidates, who are keen to address issues facing a remote geographical area, include improved broadband and mobile connections, rural transportation, flood resilience and support, and opposing cuts to education, healthcare and local services.

Jonathan Davies claims to be a voice 'free of party politics,' while Kerryanne Wilde portrays herself as 'a local girl who knows the area.' Lola McEvoy claims to be the 'best person for the job' while Neil Hughes puts himself forward as 'a sensible alternative to voters' and Doug Lawson wants to be 'someone who listens.'

"I think the political party system is broken," said Mr Davies. "Independent voices are needed in the government to get people to come forward and get involved. It's everybody's parliament."

Ms Wilde said: "We need to get a strong voice in Westminster who won’t stand for any backsliding on Brexit, a local girl who knows the area, who tells the truth and has the experience of the grassroots issues which Cumbria faces on a daily basis."

Ms McEvoy said: "People are obsessed about being born and bred in this area but all voters really care about is who is the best person for the job. Being born outside this area hasn't stopped Rory Stewart and it isn't going to stop me."

Mr Stewart appealed to voters to consider what he has achieved during his time as an MP for Penrith and the Border.

"It's an honour and privilege for me to be seeking re-election, and it will be up to the voters whether I will retain my seat," Mr Stewart said. "I hope to continue work with my projects, and to continue to get the support for Cumbria in Westminster."