LABOUR activists hope to rerun 1992 when a tearful Tory ex-MP gulped before congratulating his Labour opponent on a 120 vote victory.

This year’s Tory candidate Jake Berry is confident his 2010 majority of 4,493 is enough to keep him MP.

Rossendale and Darwen is not just a key marginal but a real weather vane seat prone to dramatic swings with the prevailing political wind.

Conservative Davis Tripper’s 1987 majority was 4,982 down from 8,821 four years earlier.

His nemesis Janet Anderson’s won in 2005 by 3,676 having had a 10,000 vote majority in 1997’s Labour landslide.

The seat is a mix of rural villages, Labour stronghold Rawtenstall, working class Tory Bacup and Darwen where people vote LibDem in council polls but differently in general elections.

Manchester commuters bolster the Tories, but Mr Berry is aware of the double-edged Straw connection.

Mrs Sanderson was the ex-Blackburn MPs assistant, his Labour opponent Will is Jack’s son.

With eight candidates, one activist reckons the result will be within 200 votes either way.

Bookies odds of 4/6 on a Tory victory and 15/8 on Labour agree.

The candidates are: Afzal Anwar, Liberal Democrat; Clive Balchin, UKIP; Jake Berry, Conservative; Shaun Hargreaves The Northern Party; Karen Pollard-Rylance, Green; Kevin Scranage, Independent; Will Straw, Labour; and Simon Thomas Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition.