General Election 2010: What's happening in the Calder Valley?

Calder Valley is a highly-marginal seat, which Labour held by just 1,367 votes at the last general election in 2005.

The constituency takes in all of the Calderdale Council area except Halifax, including Brighouse, Elland, Rastrick, Hipperholme, Lightcliffe, Greetland and Stainland.

Current MP Chris McCafferty is standing down after 13 years in the House of Commons. Steph Booth, who is married to Tony Blair's father-in-law, will attempt to hold the seat for Labour. Craig Whittaker of Rastrick is running for the Conservatives.

Calder Valley has swung between Labour and the Tories over the decades and has a history of very tight results. Labour won the seat in 1959 by 47 votes while the Conservatives triumphed in 1970 with a majority of 59.

The seat is 23^rd on the list of Conservative targets. If the Tories fail to take Calder Valley, they will almost certainly not form the next government.

According to the latest census figures, 97.5% of people in the constituency are white and 1.4% are Asian. Three out of four people in Calder Valley own their own homes.

The area is home to pop band Embrace and television presenter and Examiner columnist Wilf Lunn.