THE fight to win political control of Swindon is still wide open, according to a new report.

The Electoral Reform Society claims battles in 424 UK constituencies two thirds of the total number of seats in the UK are foregone conclusions. But neither of the Swindon seats both held by Labour have made it on to the list of 'safe seats'.

The news will please the Conservatives who are hoping to seize control of the town on May 5.

Robert Buckland, Conserv-ative candidate for South Swin-don, said: "I am really delighted but not at all surprised.

"The word that I am getting on the street is that this is a very exciting contest.

"I'm confident that I will be serving all South Swindon residents as their MP after the election."

Anne Snelgrove, South Swindon Labour candidate, agreed there was still everything to play for.

"I have never classed South Swindon as a foregone conclusion," she said.

"II would take issue with the Electoral Society. I don't think any election is a foregone conclusion.

"To say that is tantamount to saying 'don't bother to vote' and I don't agree with that at all."

Sue Stebbing, Lib Dem candidate, also said the election was not a foregone conclusion. She said: "It's a three-way fight this time round and there is everything to play for.

"In a democracy this is exactly as it should be."

Dr Stebbing also said the time was right for a change to a proportional representation electoral system.

The Electoral Reform Society, which campaigns for changes to the voting system, said their figures prove that only the vote of two per cent of the electorate will have any impact on the result of the general election.

But according to its research, votes cast in Swindon South where Labour is defending a 7,341 majority and voters in Swindon North a 8,105

Labour majority could make a significant difference.

North Wiltshire, where the Tories are defending a 3,878 majority, also failed to make the pressure group's list of safe seats.

Ken Ritchie, chief executive of the Electoral Reform Society, said only a minority of seats were of any importance at this election.

"In 424 constituencies in the UK, two thirds of the total excluding Northern Ireland where special considerations apply support for one party or another is particularly strong.

"Barring a political earthquake or personal scandal, the dominant party's candidate will win and will always win comfortably," he said.

"The way that the First-Past-the-Post voting system works means that parties are more interested in getting a few extra votes in various marginal constituencies than in getting thousands more in those that are ultra safe.

"Voters in the constituencies we have listed simply do not have the same influence on the election as voters in places where there is real competition."

In the running

THE final list of candidates standing in the general election has been confirmed.

Nominations closed at 4pm yesterday and the candidates standing are:

North Swindon

Michael Stephen Evemy, Liberal Democrat

Andrew David Newman (known as Andy), Socialist Unity

Ernest William Reynolds, Independent

Robin Howard Tingey, UK Independence Party

Justin Paul Tomlinson, Conservative Party

Michael David Wills, Labour Party

South Swindon

Robert James Buckland, Conservative

Stephen Frank Halden, UK Independence Party

Alan David Hayward, Independent

John Valentine Hughes, Green Party

Anne Christine Snelgrove, Labour Party

Susan Rietta Stebbing (also known as Susan Farrant), Liberal Democrat

John Howard Williams, Independent

North Wiltshire

Philip George Allnatt, Independent

Neil Francis Dowdney, UK Independence Party

Paul Jonathan Fox, Liberal Democrat

James Whiteside Gray, Conservative Party

David James Nash, Labour Party

Isabel Field & Mark Hookham