THE election campaign is beginning to gather pace in Craven.

Voters will be electing both an MP and district councillor when they go to the polls on May 7.

The Skipton and Ripon Constituency has five Parliamentary hopefuls – Jacquie Bell (Liberal Democrat), Malcolm Birks (Labour), Andrew Brown (Green), Alan Henderson (UKIP) and Julian Smith (Conservative).

In the 2010 election, Mr Smith was elected with a majority of nearly 10,000.

The neighbouring Keighley constituency – which covers parts of South Craven – is seen as a key marginal and has attracted some high profile campaigners, including Labour Leader Ed Miliband and Leader of the House of Commons William Hague.

The seat is held by Tory Kris Hopkins, who wrested the seat from Labour with a 2,940 majority.

This time he faces a challenge from Labour’s John Grogan, the Green Party’s Ros Brown, Liberal Democrat Gareth Epps and Paul Latham, who is standing for UKIPK Independence Party.

There is also a five-cornered fight in Pendle, where Tory Andrew Stephenson is defending the seat against Ali Azhar (Labour), Laura Fisk (Green), Graham Roach (Liberal Democrat) and Mick Waddington (UKIP).

Thirteen seats are being contested on Conservative-controlled Craven District Council, which includes three by-elections following the deaths of Conservative councillors Donny Whaites (Settle and Ribblebanks) and John Roberts (Upper Wharfedale) and the resignation of former council leader Chris Knowles-Fitton (Cons, Barden Fell).

Three other councillors are not seeking re-election - Independent Lin Barrington in Bentham, Conservative Marcia Turner in Skipton North and Independent Ken Hart in Sutton-in-Craven.

There are also elections in the Craven ward of Bradford Council and in the Coates, Craven and Earby wards of Pendle Borough Council.

Craven: Barden Fell: Steve Brookes (Ind), Ben Kenyon (Green), Gill Quinn (Cons); Bentham: Mark Christie (Lib Dem), John Howard Matthew (Lab), Tim Stannard (Ind), Ian Robert Thompson (Cons); Embsay-with-Eastby: Jim Black (Lab), Andrew Garrick (Green), Andy Quinn (Cons); Gargrave and Malhamdale: Joe Dillon (Labour), Simon Myers (Cons); Glusburn: Roger Baxandall (UKIP), Graham Beck (Ind), Katherine Mary Lloyd (La), Andrew Mallinson (Cons); Settle and Ribblebanks: Wendy Hull (Cons), David Pemberton (Labour), Jo Rhodes (Green); Skipton East: Chris Harbron (Cons), David Christopher Noland (Green), Chris Rose (Lab); Skipton North: John Dawson (Cons), Calvin Dow (Ind), Claire Nash (Green), John Edward Pope (Labour), Roland Wohlrapp (Liberal Democrats); Skipton South: Wendy Clark (Cons), Robert Heseltine (Ind), Alan Hickman (Lab), John Manley (Lib Dem), Karl Spracklen (Green); Skipton West: Chris Clark (Cons), Martin Emmerson (Ind), John Launder (Green), Peter Madeley (Lab), Edward Alastair Walker (Lib Dem); Sutton-in-Craven: Steve Davies (Green), Stephen Morrell (Ind), Brian Kenneth John Parsons (Lab); Upper Wharfedale: Christopher Clark (Cons), Peter Leach (Lab). West Craven: Bob Holland (Lab), Robert Mason (Cons).

Pendle: Coates: Alan Newbould (Lab), Harry Purcell (Cons), Claire Teall (Lib Dem), Jane Veronica Bailes (Green); Craven: Ian Barnett (Green), Dorothy Baxter (UKIP), Richard Daniel Milner (Lib Dem), Jennifer Purcell (Cons), Yvonne Tennant; Earby: Morris Horfield (Cons), Edward Johnson (UKIP), Ian Lyons (Lib Dem), Hannah Rose Wilkinson (Lab).

Bradford: Craven: Chris Atkinson (Ind), Val Carroll (Lab), Stuart Ebden (Lib Dem), Jack Rickard (Cons) and Janet Souyave (Green).