(Most of) the campaign starts...

Labour in Wirral West are still to make their choice to take over from Stephen Hesford and take on Esther McVey.

Ms McVey looks like being a tough candidate to beat - having only just lost out to Labour in 2005 and combined with the current Tory poll lead and boundary changes - it looks like everyone else, including the Lib-Dems' Peter Reisdorf and the independent candidate David Kirwan, will have ground to make up. Mr Kirwan has already been working hard on his campaign - including using billboards so we will have to see what impact he can make.

What remains to be seen is who Labour choose to take on this particular battle...

In Wirral South the Lib-Dems' former Wirral West candidate Jeff Clarke is standing for the Tories this time round and looks like doing better than the third place he managed for them in 2005.

He faces Labour's Alison McGovern, deputy leader of the Labour group on Southwark council who was selected to fight the seat being vacated by Ben Chapman. And hoping to build on a strong council votes for the Lib-Dems is Jamie Saddler. He comes in to fight for a constituency which has elected eight out of a possible 15 Liberal Democrat councillors. 

Wallasey looks like being the most interesting seat if the Tories maintain their current advantage in the opinion polls. Angela Eagle has held the seat for Labour since winning it from her Conservative predecessor Linda Chalker in 1992. Having held ministerial posts, managed to escape the furore over MPs' expenses, and with a majority of more than 9,000, Ms Eagle will be a tough challenge for Conservative Leah Fraser who also fought the seat in 2005. The Tories have increased the number of council seats they hold in Wallasey in recent years, taking their first ever seat in Leasowe in 2008, and setting up an impressive campaigning machine which is also working hard in Seacombe - that other Labour stronghold in Wallasey where they also have Denis Knowles who defected from Labour to the Tories. 

Lib-Dem Steve Pitt will be hoping to disrupt both larger parties in Wallasey, but with little established party activity in Wallasey it will be an uphill struggle.

Last and although not least, certainly unlikely to provide any great surprises, Birkenhead will see Labour's Frank Field take on Stuart Kelly from the Lib Dems and Andrew Gilbert for the Conservatives. A solicitor and lecturer and a Huntingdonshire district councillor since 2006, and like Lib-Dem Steve Pitt in Wallasey, Mr Gilbert has no local councillors demonstrating any strong party organisation on the ground.