WOMEN are to the fore in the race to represent South East Cornwall at Westminster.

Of the six candidates declared so far, three are women — and two of these represent the major parties in the constituency.

Karen Gillard hopes she can retain the seat for the Liberal Democrats — sitting MP Colin Breed has stood down after 13 years in the Commons.

Her main rival at the election will be Conservative Sheryll Murray — the Tories held the seat for many years under Robert Hicks.

Joining the two in the election fight are Labour's Michael Sparling, UKIP's Stephanie McWilliam, Mebyon Kernow's Roger Holmes and the Green Party's Roger Creagh-Osborne.

The Liberal Democrats held South East Cornwall by a majority of 6,507 votes in the 2005 election.

Karen Gillard is a London barrister who was brought up and educated in Torpoint. She began her political career in 2000 as a Conservative councillor in Plymouth — she defected the following year to become the only Liberal Democrat councillor in the city at the time.

She fought Plymouth Sutton for the Liberal Democrats in 2005, achieving an 8% swing.

Miss Gillard is campaigning on saving local post offices, dental services and a fair deal on water rates for local people.

She also wants to make sure that people get access to good education and employment and to make sure the elderly are properly cared for.

Conservative Sheryll Murray has lived the majority of her life in Millbrook and works as a doctors' surgery receptionist. She is married with two grown up children.

She represented Rame on Cornwall County Council and her village on Caradon District Council before it was abolished in 2009. She was leader of the council's Conservative Group from 2003 to 2007.

She said: 'South East Cornwall is going to be pivotal at this election.  History is clear.  Every time we have elected a Liberal or Liberal Democrat MP here in South East Cornwall over the last 60 years we have had a Labour Government.  Almost every time we have a Conservative MP we have a Conservative Government.  If we want change to happen then it must happen here.'

Labour's Michael Sparling was born in Barnstaple and is based in the West Country, working for one of the world's largest airlines.

He has a degree in philosophy and politics. He worked in the constituency office of former Government minister Kitty Ussher and stood as a candidate in the Devon County Council elections in 2008.

He said people were realising there was a choice at this election: 'A choice between a Labour Government that has invested in families, schools, colleges and hospitals in Cornwall, and a Conservative government that would risk our recovery here in Cornwall.'

Stephanie McWilliam lives in Callington and joined UKIP in 2002. She has stood in local elections and was an MEP candidate.

A radiographer for 30 years and then a management consultant, Mrs McWilliam is a widow with two grown up daughters.

She is concerned with local planning issues and said 'I believe that our agricultural land must be protected from mass housing developments and our beautiful county protected from endless wind turbines of dubious benefit to our energy security.'

Former Liskeard mayor Roger Holmes (Mebyon Kernow) has been a local councillor for more than 40 years and spent ten years on Caradon District Council.

He is a long standing member of the national executive of Mebyon Kernow, including a spell as national secretary in the early 1980s and is passionate about a stronger local government, increased European co-operation and from direct experience looking after people with Parkinson's Disease, including his mother, understands the need to protect and develop the caring services.

He said: 'It is increasingly clear that the people of South East Cornwall are fed up with the status quo and they want a change. I believe that my long experience and proven commitment provide that possibility,' he said.

Roger Creagh-Osborne said he believes that 'only the Green Party has the ideas which can solve the triple social, economic and environmental problems we face'.

An employee of Plymouth University, Mr Creagh-Osborne moved to South East Cornwall in 1984 with a young family and has had a career in broadcast and communications engineering with local and international companies.

In 2007 he stood as the Green candidate in the Caradon Council election and in the 2009 Cornwall election, polling 22% in his division.

He said: In 2010 we have no sitting MP, the three main parties all offering nearly identical positions in the centre, the result unlikely to make any difference to the national outcome, and three interesting minor parties with distinctive voices in UKIP, MK and ourselves the Greens — it could be a very interesting result.'

Lord Ashdown visited Liskeard last week and another visit is expected by another of the Liberal Democrat big players. Members of the Shadow Cabinet are also expected to visit the constituency.