TORY incumbent John Baron is likely to retain the Basildon and Billericay seat, despite the challenge of Ukip.

The backbench rebel, who has voted against the Government on several key issues, including Syria and high-speed rail but supported same-sex marriage, was widely tipped to be a potential defector to Ukip party last autumn, after the departure of Rochester and Strood MP Mark Reckless and Douglas Carswell who went on to win by-elections in their constituencies.

However, he has put his hat firmly in the ring to recontest the seat for the Conservatives after Ukip selected George Konstantinidis, its Eastern region chairman, to contest it.

Mr Baron was predicted to see a cut his majority at the 2010 General Election following boundary changes which sawhim lose Tory stronghold Wickford in favour of Labour heartlands in the north of Basildon, including Fryerns.

However, it actually increased from to 12,398, the amount of votes he trounced second place councillor Allan Davies for Labour.

Three other candidates stood, including Mike Hibbs for the Lib Dems who polled 6,538, but have yet to announced a nomination for the May election.

Five years ago Ukip had failed to see its current surge in popularity, with Alan Broad, its candidate, coming in last with 1,591 votes behind BNP candidate Irene Bateman’s 1,934.

Far-right BNP, which has gone into meltdown after former leader Nick Griffin’s departure, has not announced a candidate for 2015.

Labour candidate for the seat Gavin Callaghan, at just 26, is campaigning hard on issues such as GP shortages, but despite this is unlikely to make any significant inroads into the seat.

Billericay has been Tory held since 1950, apart from one term from 1966, when Eric Moonman took it for Labour for four years, after which the Tories won it back.

FIVE KEY ISSUES

  • Threat of building homes on green belt
  • Ongoing illegal traveller site problem
  • GP shortage crisis
  • Lack of social and affordable homes
  • Basildon Hospital financial deficit

HISTORY

BASILDON and Billericay seat was formed for the 2010 general election, merging the former constituency of Billericay with parts of the former Basildon constituency.

Basildon was famously a Conservative seat throughout the Eighties, until a landslide Labour victory in 1997.

They won the next two elections, until Tory John Baron won the newly-created Basildon and Billericay seat five years ago.

Mr Baron was first voted into the Conservative-strong Billericay seat in 2001.

His main challenger is now Ukip which took three seats in Billericay at the elections in 2010.

Braintree and Witham Times: