PENDLE was once the definition of a ‘swing’ seat but on June 8 only a political hurricane would see it change hands.

Politics in the borough have become bitter and this General Election will be hotly contested.

Two years ago a late surge for the Tories saw sitting MP Andrew Stephenson surprisingly increase his majority from 3,585 to 5,453.

Defections from the Liberal Democrats in recent months suggest he should be secure, a message supported by Lancashire County Council results last month.

Mr Stephenson is aware that since 1983 Pendle has been held by the Tories in three elections and Labour for four, making predictions risky.

Split between Labour strongholds like Nelson and Brierfield, Colne and West Craven (fertile Liberal Democrat ground), and posher rural villages where the Tories hold sway, the constituency is a miniature model of East Lancashire's mixed economy and population.

As a leading Brexit campaigner Mr Stephenson is aware of the possible consequences of leaving the EU for Pendle’s many aerospace and manufacturing firms and workers, heavily dependent on exporting to Europe.

Veteran Liberal Democrat candidate Gordon Lishman is keen to exploit those concerns with his party’s commitment to a second referendum, despite most Pendle electors voting ‘Out’ last year.

Keen to do more than save his deposit, the man who previously secured the LibDem’s best-ever result in the seat makes much of job security and the need to boost skills in young people.

Another key theme is ‘social and economic justice’.

The former Age Concern director said: “We have lower life expectancy and poorer health outcomes in Pendle which are connected with bad housing, unemployment and uninteresting low-paid jobs.”

Ian Barnett, the 62-year-old former NHS worker standing for the Green Party, shares Mr Lishman’s concerns about Brexit’s impact, wants more investment in public transport to get people out of cars and is alarmed at the number of housing developments.

He said: “I want the priority to be bringing empty, disused homes in places like Nelson and Colne back into use before new building is considered.

“Development should be on small pockets of brownfield land not on Pendle’s green fields.”

Brian Parker, of the British National Party backs protecting the green belt, opposes fracking, and wants to reopen the Colne to Skipton railway line.

He also wants to ‘end the madness of foreign aid’, dramatically tighten abortion laws, bring back capital punishment, stop the ‘Islamic colonisation of Britain’ and end trade union immunity from prosecution.

Labour's Wayne Blackburn, a 41-year-old with a rare form of cerebral palsy, is alarmed at school funding cuts, reforms to the welfare system, and condemns the current work capability assessment system for sickness and disability benefits.

He highlights the poor state of Nelson and Colne centres and their unsuitability for disabled and wheelchair-using residents.

Mr Blackburn said: “Look at the Northlight development in Brierfield Mill which Mr Stephenson trumpets. Not a penny came from the government but all the cash from the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership and the county council.”

Mr Stephenson hit back: “The money came originally from central government after I lobbied for it.”

He said that has been a rethink by ministers on school funding.

Mr Stephenson admits many local firms and their workers are worried about the effects of leaving the EU.

He said: “I think I am best placed to take those concerns to the hopefully Conservative Prime Minister and Brexit Secretary as I already have done.

“People, however they voted on Brexit, now just want us to get on with negotiations and secure the best deal possible.”

Despite confusion on social care and taxation, he detects no impact on the doorstep against Theresa May as a leader versus Jeremy Corbyn.

Mr Stephenson can hope a LibDem revival and the absence of a UKIP candidate will deliver him an even more handsome majority over Labour than 2015.

The candidates are: Ian Barnett, Green; Wayne Blackburn, Labour; Gordon Lishman Liberal Democrat; Andrew Stephenson, Conservative; and Brian Parker, British National Party.

Result 2015: Conservative Andrew Stephenson 20,978; Labour Azhar Ali 15,525; UKIP Michael Waddington 5,415; Liberal Democrat Graham Roach; Green Laura Fisk 1,043. Majority 5,453. Turnout 68.7 per cent.