Could Brighton Pavilion go Green?

The Green Party came fourth in Brighton Pavilion in 2001

The Green Party has identified five key constituencies it is targeting at the general election, and right at the forefront is a seat on the south coast.

Brighton Pavilion is their "number one" target, according to Green candidate Keith Taylor.

Mr Taylor won the Greens' biggest ever vote share when he stood in Brighton Pavilion at the 2001 general election.

He admits though that turning round Labour's significant majority in the seat will take a lot of work.

The constituency runs westward from Palace Pier along the Marine Parade towards Hove, taking in most of Brighton town centre.

It also moves inland towards the South Downs and the suburbs of Preston and Patcham.

'Make history'

Labour's David Lepper won the seat from the Conservatives in 1997, and held onto it in 2001 with an impressive majority of nearly 10,000 votes.

The Liberal Democrats won 13% of the vote, but it was the Green Party's 9.3% share that has made them take Brighton Pavilion so seriously in 2005.

Brighton Pavilion candidates Conservative: Mike Weatherley Labour: David Lepper Liberal Democrat: Hazel Thorpe Green: Keith Taylor UK Independence Party: Kimberley Crisp-Comotto Alliance for Green Socialism: Tony Greenstein Socialist Labour Party: Mr Ian Fyvie Independent: Keith Jago Independent: Christopher Rooke

The Greens also point to a significant showing at the Brighton and Hove City Council local election in 2003, as well as the continuing presence of Caroline Lucas as a Green MEP in the South East.

Keith Taylor, who is also the Green Party's joint principal speaker and a member of Brighton and Hove City Council, says he is aiming for similar success at the general election.

"If we do the same again, we will make history and we will get the country's first Green MP."

Mr Taylor thinks there is a significant groundswell of support for the Greens in the Brighton area.

Keith Taylor is campaigning about park-and-ride and recycling plans

But Labour's David Lepper thinks Mr Taylor is being "wildly over optimistic" about the Green Party's chances and says "they stand no chance of winning the seat".

Mr Lepper was the first ever Labour leader of the former borough council in Brighton during the mid-1980s.

His view is that even though the Greens have seen success at local and European elections in recent years, at general elections they rarely achieve more than a "pretty poor third or fourth".

He says the Greens' targeting of Brighton Pavilion will not change his approach to the election.

"I fight every election as if it's the first, as if I've got to win the confidence of people, and I'm never complacent," said Mr Lepper.

The Tory candidate, standing for the first time in Brighton Pavilion, is Mike Weatherley.

He has lived around Brighton for 30 years and says Brighton Pavilion is "an area I have always wanted to stand in".

Mr Weatherley needs a swing of 11.8% to gain the seat from Labour, and he's campaigning locally on issues of crime prevention, transport in Brighton and the abolition of student tuition fees.

In terms of crime he wants to see the return of a permanent policeman stationed at the Clock Tower in Brighton.

Brighton Pavilion has been in Labour hands since 1997

He says a police presence at the Clock Tower for nine months in 2002-2003 reduced the number of emergency calls from 180 to just two.

Mr Weatherley admits he faces a "formidable challenge" in turning round the Labour majority, but says he is "in it to win it".

The Liberal Democrats came third in Brighton Pavilion in 2001 and their candidate is Hazel Thorpe.

She says she will be giving the election her "best shot" and has been encouraged by how her campaign has gone so far.

"I've been attending public meetings and I've been getting a good reception," she added.

"Because of the way we've related to the voters I'm finding that the Labour Party are not terribly popular.

"The Greens and the Liberal Democrats tend to have similar policies but we believe we are the better party because we can deliver.

"I think from the Conservative point of view, and Liberal Democrat, we've got an equal chance."

There are five other candidates for Brighton Pavilion: Kimberley Crisp-Comotto for the UK Independence Party, Tony Greenstein for the Alliance for Green Socialism, Ian Fyvie for the Socialist Labour Party, and independent candidates Keith Jago and Christopher Rooke.