Battle lines drawn in Bassetlaw as Labour aim to regain traditional stronghold from the Tories

The constituency, which includes Worksop and Retford had been an unmovable block in Labour’s ‘Red Wall’.

However, the post-Brexit Boris Johnson wave crashed into town in 2019 and gave Brendan Clarke-Smith a 14,000 vote majority in the biggest-ever swing from Labour to Conservative.

Five years on though, Labour think they can claim back lost ground.

But it’s a close call for polling predictors.

Mr Clarke-Smith is standing again as he aims to defend the seat for the Conservatives.

He said: "When I became MP for Bassetlaw in 2019, we rode on the crest of a wave with all the positivity about Brexit and levelling up.

"I say judge me on my track record.

"I’ve got more than £60m for our town centre and the multi-million-pound STEP fusion project.

"Most important to me, we got £17.6m for a brand new A&E at Bassetlaw Hospital.

“The main issues for Bassetlaw are the same for everyone in terms of cost of living.

"We’ve had places like Wilko closing and the job losses there.

"It’s not so much the amount, it’s bringing in the highly-skilled jobs.

"A lot of our young people want to leave to go to Nottingham, Sheffield or London.

"I want people to be able to get their qualifications and skills here and then the high-paid jobs.

"The STEP fusion is one example.

"We’re working with schools, colleges and businesses to create 100,000 apprenticeships nationally.

"I want to bring the economic growth and have places in the town centre we can be proud of again.

“Bassetlaw is such a diverse area and in the past there’s been too much negativity.

"It’s a great place to live and work, and I’d encourage people to look at the area the same way I do.”

Aiming to win the seat back for Labour is Jo White, the current deputy leader of Bassetlaw Council.

She said: “People are telling me they want change.

"Every time I knock on someone’s door, people tell me they can’t get to see a dentist or a doctor – 8am waiting on the phone and a two-year waiting list for operations isn’t good enough and we can’t go on like this.

"I want to get more doctors appointments and operations at evening and weekends – it concerns me that people are sorting out their teeth themselves.

“The biggest challenge we face is many young people currently have no choice but to leave Bassetlaw to get a high-skill, highly-paid job at the moment.

"We want to create those apprenticeships, training opportunities and jobs here.

"I don’t want to see big multi-nationals bringing their own people from outside – I want to see opportunities opened up so that local people can raise families here and bring wealth into Bassetlaw.

"Bassetlaw is a very stable population with strong families and good places to work and live.

"The schools are the very best in the country in terms of GCSE and A-levels and I’d like to raise aspirations by restarting the Parliamentary summer school so students can get new opportunities and meet big companies such as Google and Facebook.”

Standing for the Greens will be Rachel Reeves.

She said: “Voting for me means voting for a party that is serious about tacking climate change, is ambitious when demanding a fairer economy and a properly-funded NHS, and stands up for peace.

"This is one of the richest countries in the world, yet the hospital I work at now has a food bank for its staff and the primary school my son goes to has a food hub for young families.

"Greens are clear that we have to tax the very richest in society more fairly and invest more in our future – education, health, homes.

"In the future, climate change will get worse and we are not ready for it

"Bassetlaw flood defences are weak and building new homes here without taking that into account is short-sighted.

“This area has so much potential, but it’s hard to unlock.

"Our transport links should be excellent, with the railway line, but the train service isn’t good enough.

"Our countryside is our most precious resource – the canal, the rivers, the wildlife – but we must do more to protect it and support farmers.

"Our infrastructure is perfect for green energy technology but we need more investment to retrain local people and support new projects.

Helen Tamblyn-Saville is the Liberal Democrats candidate.

She said: “I’m a local high street business owner, and live in Retford with my family.

"I understand the struggles faced by families and businesses and, being based in the community, I talk to people every single day about their concerns.

"A vote for me is a vote for a local champion who will stand up to ensure a fair deal for everyone, where everyone can afford a home, where every child receives a good education and everyone can access the healthcare they need, in a cleaner, greener, Bassetlaw where everyone can thrive and no-one is left behind.

“People I speak to have many concerns, but one big issue is that of flooding.

"As MP, one of my top priorities would be a truly collaborative approach to working with agencies on flood defences and supporting those impacted.

“Bassetlaw is a great place to be but we have been let down.

"It’s increasingly difficult to access health services when needed, people are worried about crime and struggling to pay bills.

"Liberal Democrats will give everyone the right to see a GP within 24 hours, if it’s urgent, and introduce free personal care for everyone who needs it.

"We would introduce free school meals for all children in poverty and fund public services through fair taxes.”

Also standing is Frank Ward for Reform UK.

He said: “The ‘first past the post’ system of selecting Westminster governments is undemocratic, morally indefensible and corrupt. Reform UK on behalf of the British people demand a more accountable and equitable system of proportional representation or the single transferable vote to select governments of their choice.”