LABOUR'S Liz Blackman is stepping down after holding the seat since 1997.

But so far the headlines have gone to independent candidate 18-year-old Luke Wilkins, of Long Eaton, who, having turned 18 on March 31, hopes to become the country's youngest MP.

Mr Wilkins said: "I want to start a Love Erewash campaign, to bring the heart back to the community and bring it together."

He said it was important to help businesses and improve ailing town centres, and that his views, which include adopting an Australian-style points based immigration system, were well received. He added one of the reasons he was standing was to urge voters not to back extremist parties.

In 2005 Labour held a majority of 7,486 and Labour candidate Cheryl Pidgeon is confident this will be sufficient for the party to hold on to the seat.

Mrs Pidgeon said she had a strong understanding of residents' needs from her contacts and experience as a borough councillor and school governor.

"Thousands of Erewash residents have told me that their issues for this election are the recovery of the economy, new jobs and industries for Erewash and regeneration of Stanton and town centres," she said.

She added people were concerned about frontline services, anti-social behaviour and the dignity for pensioners.

Mrs Pidgeon said she intended to be a plain-speaking MP who would fight for Erewash if elected and support businesses.

She added: "Liz was brilliant for Erewash and I am proud to have Liz's full support."

Jessica Lee was selected as the Conservative's prospective parliamentary candidate for the constituency in 2007.

She said: "Erewash has been really badly hit by the recession. There's a lot of worry on the doorstep about job security, we have quite a lot of small and medium sized businesses here. They are quite worried any sort of tax on jobs will affect them."

Ms Lee added: "A lot of Labour voters in Erewash are looking for a change and seem to be responding well to what we say.

"Anyone who has served the community – which the MP had done for 13 years – from that, you are bound to have some sort of personal vote," she said. But she added her three years' campaigning meant she could build up an Erewash following.

Liberal Democrat Martin Garnett, standing for Erewash for the fourth time, believes he has his best chance yet of taking the seat.

He said: "Affordable housing is a major issue and the state of the town centres in both Long Eaton and Ilkeston are issues, they are getting a bit rundown in areas." He said the party would tackle the problems facing small businesses.

On controversial proposals to build a housing and industrial development on the former Stanton Ironworks, Mr Garnett said while the area needed industrial development and affordable homes, not all of the site was suitable for housing.

He said he was gaining support in northern parts of Erewash and from Labour voters.

He added: "I think our chances are better than they have ever been."

For the latest election news visit The Miner blog at http://theminer2010.blogspot.com – digging out the best snippets from the election campaign.

sarah.firth@nottinghameveningpost.co.uk