THE line-up of candidates seeking election as the next MP for Keighley and Ilkley contains no great surprises.

Kris Hopkins, who wrested the seat from Labour with a 2,940 majority in 2010, will be defending it for the Tories.

The seat - a key marginal which covers parts of South Craven - had been held for 13 years by Ann Cryer, who did not seek re-election last time around.

The Labour challenger this year is former Selby MP John Grogan, who represented the North Yorkshire town in parliament for 13 years until his seat was abolished following boundary changes in 2010.

Other contenders are Ros Brown for the Green party, Gareth Epps for the Liberal Democrats, and Paul Latham, who is standing for the UK Independence Party.

ROS BROWN (Green) ROS, 45, has worked in education for more than 20 years as a primary teacher, headteacher and researcher. She has supported people who are elderly, homeless, living in poverty or recovering from torture.

She was the first person in her family to go to university and is currently completing a part-time PhD at Cambridge University. She lives in Ben Rhydding with her husband and two young sons.

Ros says: “We have an incredible opportunity to vote for real, refreshing and much-needed change. We need a political system that puts the public first, an economy that gives everyone their fair share, a respectful society capable of supporting everyone’s needs and a planet protected from the threat of climate change.”

She will fight for greater investment in education and apprenticeships, greenbelt protection; more support for local businesses; further investment in home insulation; a railway in public hands and proper investment in sustainable transport; and properly-funded public services.

GARETH EPPS (Lib Dem) GARETH works for a major infrastructure project.

With Greg Mulholland, he led the cross-party Fair Deal for your Local campaign to save the community pub.

Gareth first joined the Liberal Democrats in 1992 and stood against David Cameron in Witney in 2001, increasing his share of the vote.

A former councillor, he served on boards of equality, voluntary and environmental organisations.

He says: “Liberal Democrats are about freedom. We want to give everyone the potential to get on in life: a roof over their head, the best possible education and a safety net if things go wrong. Regardless of who you are.

“In Government we’ve got the economy back on track. I want to see small business thrive, and invest in infrastructure to boost Keighley’s economy and create jobs.”

He adds the Liberal Democrats are the only party to say how an £8 billion investment in the NHS would be funded.

JOHN GROGAN (Lab) JOHN is the grandson of Irish migrants to Bradford whose dad had his first teaching job in Keighley. He delivered leaflets in the town for Labour’s Bob Cryer in 1979 when he held on to the seat by just 78 votes.

For 13 years, he was Labour MP for Selby and, for the past five years, has worked in business promoting exports to emerging markets and chairing an employee-owned business, Hatfield Colliery He says: “I want to help build a Britain where everybody gets a decent chance in life. We need a society where a fair day’s work means a fair day’s pay. I would work hard to bring jobs and investment to the area.

“Public services like our NHS should be accountable to the electorate but not constantly threatened by privatisation. I will vigorously defend services in both Keighley and the surrounding villages. I will campaign for a fairer funding settlement for Bradford Council.”

KRIS HOPKINS (Cons) KRIS was first elected as the Conservative MP for Keighley in 2010. He had previously spent 12 years representing Worth Valley on Bradford Council and, from 2006-10, was Conservative Group Leader and Leader of the Council. In October 2013, he was appointed Minister for Communities and Local Government.

Kris served with the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment in Kenya, Northern Ireland and Germany. After leaving the Army, he gained a degree in communications and cultural studies from Leeds University before becoming a lecturer.

He says: “Thanks to the policies of a Conservative-led Government, our economy is growing strongly, unemployment in Keighley is down by more than 40 per cent, inflation is at an all-time low, wages are going up and people have more money to spend.

“However, I am standing for re-election because the job is not yet done and, without a properly-managed economy, all of our achievements will be put at risk.”

PAUL LATHAM (UKIP) PAUL and his wife, June, have lived in the constituency. They have two sons.

With a background in general management and business development, Paul has worked at a senior level for more than 30 years with global and multi-national organisations such as Warner Bros, Hasbro and Virgin Group.

Among the well-known products he has launched are the original Rubik Cube puzzle back in 1980 and the Monopoly City Editions range in 1998.

He is a recent MBA graduate of Leeds University Business School and works as UKIP’s Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire regional organiser He says: “I have seen the north of England diminish as a centre of manufacturing over the decades. My aim is to bring inward investment into this district, to re-establish the industrial might of the north.”