THERESA May’s decision to call a snap general election has no doubt been influenced by opinion polls putting the Tories on course for a landslide — and she won’t be the only one hoping those figures are right.

Conservative Chris Green won the Bolton West seat from Labour in 2015 by just 801 votes, so he will see this as an opportunity to solidify his position.

The seat has traditionally been a marginal between Labour and the Tories — in 2010, Julie Hilling was elected with a winning margin of just 92 — but with Jeremy Corbyn’s party lagging behind, the incumbent will be hoping for an easier ride this time around.

The Tories will also be targeting the Bolton North East seat held by Sir David Crausby.

The newly-knighted Labour MP has held the constituency since 1997, having also come close to snatching it from the Tories in 1992, but has seen his majority reduce from more than 12,000 to 4,377.

Cllr Andy Morgan, who is on the Conservatives’ list of approved parliamentary candidates, says he believes the Bolton North East seat is there for the taking.

Cllr Morgan, who would only consider standing in Bolton, said: “The party will be making decisions on who will stand where, and I will obviously have to talk to the people who matter to me and decide what I might want to do. I think the Conservatives could certainly have a good crack at Bolton North East. The feedback I have had over the past few years makes me think it is there for the taking.”

Yasmin Qureshi MP will be feeling somewhat more secure in Bolton South East, where she increased her majority to 10,928 in 2015.

The seat has always been safe territory for Labour since its creation in 1983, but will again be the main target for Bolton’s UKIP members at this election.

The party is strongest in the south of the borough and finished ahead of the Conservatives in 2015.

How UKIP candidates perform on June 8 will be an interesting early look at how the Brexit vote has affected their electoral potential.

The Lib Dems will also be hoping for an improved showing across the board, following their disastrous election in 2015.

It is also worth noting that the current constituency boundaries will still be in place at this election.

Proposed changes to the boundaries were expected to come into force for a 2020 general election, but have not yet been agreed by MPs.