Eddisbury seat is Stephen O’Brien’s to lose

Apr 15 2010 by Ben Coulbeck, Chester Chronicle

THE battle lines have been drawn across Eddisbury with just four candidates calling for your vote.

But nobody seems able to mount a serious challenge to Conservative candidate Stephen O’Brien.

Mr O’Brien, who is the only candidate to live in the constituency, has held the Eddisbury seat for more than a decade and if the Tories are elected, he is in line to take charge of the NHS as Secretary of State for Health.

At the last General Election, Mr O’Brien claimed about 6,000 votes more than his nearest rival.

Labour candidate Pat Merrick will need to make inroads into the large developing town of Winsford in order to make up any ground.

The Liberal Democrats have always commanded reasonable levels of support in Eddisbury but never enough to trouble the two front runners.

Former Chester city councillor Bob Thompson will hope to pick up extra votes from those who have lost confidence in the two major parties.

UKIP’s Charles Dodman, who defected from the Tories after becoming dissatisfied with the party’s leadership, is the rank outsider in the race for Parliament.