All eyes will be on Warwick and Leamington this Thursday (July 4) as six election hopefuls look to become the new MP for one of the tightest seats in the country.

Matt Western is looking to win a third straight vote, having claimed the seat for Labour in 2017.

Seven years ago the former councillors took a majority of just 1,206 votes, which was then whittled down to 789 in 2019.

But the constituency of Warwick and Leamington is familiar to being in the spotlight.

Dating back to 1885, its previous MP's include a Speaker of the House of Commons, two Attorney Generals and of course a Prime Minister.

Mr Western's win in 2017 came after back to back Conservative wins for Chris White in 2015 and 2010.

And he is one of just two Labour MP's to have represented the patch, after Labour's James Plaskitt held the seat for three consecutive elections (1997, 2001 and 2004).

Before that, Warwick and Leamington was Conservative all the way back until the start of the 20th century when Thomas Berridge of the Liberals claimed victory in the 1906 election, which saw just 5,813 votes cast locally.

In the time in between, Ernest Pollock (later Attorney General) held the seat from 1910 to 1923.

He was then followed by Anthony Eden who remained the local MP (and then prime minister) until his resignation in 1957 which triggered a by-election.

Conservative John Hobson would then win that election until his death, triggering another by-election.

That was won by Dudley Smith who held onto the seat all the way until he was voted out in 1997.

Read more from the local candidates here.