A Look @: The Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight is the biggest constituency in the country with an electorate of almost 110,000 voters. Although it doesn't look competitive this year, during the nineties it was a CON/LD marginal. The Conservatives lost 7 seats in the 2009 council elections but they still hold control with 24 of the 40 seats. The sole Lib Dem gain that year took their total to five.

 

Constituency	Incumbent	Notional Majority		Swing Needed	Favourite	Prediction
Isle of Wight	Andrew Turner	12,978		9.8%	1/200	CON Hold

 

It's hard to see past Andrew Turner holding on to the seat he first won in 2001. His biggest problem seems to be allegations surrounding his partner, Carole Dennett, who also runs his constituency office. The Lib Dem candidate is Jill Wareham, a former Island councillor, and perhaps she'll be able to exploit the Tories internal problems. But without any kind of councillor base it will be a tough ask; Conservative hold.