THE battlelines have been drawn for this year’s General Election.

Political parties have sounded the starting pistol on the race to become an MP for Bolton in one of its three constituencies.

All three seats are currently held by Labour — David Crausby in Bolton North East, Yasmin Qureshi in Bolton South East and Julie Hilling in Bolton West — who are all seeking re-election.

Ms Hilling’s seat, which covers Smithills, Horwich, Lostock, Westhoughton and Atherton, is one of the most hotly contested in the country, after she won the 2010 general election with a majority of just 92 votes.

So far the Conservatives have chosen engineer Chris Green to stand against her in a hope to take back the seat, which the party held for 14 years with MP Thomas Sackville.

Ms Hilling told The Bolton News that she would not give her seat up without a fight.

She said: “One of the things I have tried to do, because it is a marginal seat and I have known that I may only have five years, is to make a difference.

“I have worked six to seven days a week for the past four and a half years, and on the seventh day I care for my mum.

“It is that drive to make a positive difference to the lives of people in Bolton West that keeps me going.”

Mr Green has already been visited by top Tory ministers on his campaign, including George Osborne, Iain Duncan Smith and Chris Grayling, as they try to convince voters to support him in May.

He recently unveiled the Conservative election poster in Bolton and told The Bolton News: “Over the next few months, I want to invite and bring up as many members of the Government and cabinet to show them the good things that are happening in Bolton, the progress that is being made, and let them speak to residents and businesses about their views.

“It’s my job, if elected, to represent the constituents, and the next few months are a great opportunity for me to talk to residents, businesses and voluntary groups to find out their needs so I can represent their interests.”

UKIP will challenge the seat with local candidate Bob Horsefield, who stood to be a councillor in Horwich last year.

In Bolton North West James Daly, a Tory councillor in Bury, has been selected to taken on Mr Crausby, while Harry Lamb will stand for UKIP.

Mr Crausby was first elected in 2007, and has a majority of more than 4,000 votes from 2010.

UKIP and the Conservatives have yet to announce their candidates for Labour’s safest borough seat in Bolton South East, where Ms Qureshi has a majority of more than 8,000.

The Liberal Democrats and Green Party have yet to release the names of their candidates.

The General Election will take place at the same time as the local elections for Bolton Council, where a third of the authority’s seats will be contested.

** FROM Monday, January 12, The Bolton News will start a series of special features looking at the candidates standing in the General Election, starting with Bolton West.

You can share your views by sending a letter to letters@nqnw.co.uk.