ePolitix.com profiles the key constituencies in the general election.

The fight for the Derbyshire constituency of Erewash was always going to be a colourful one, ever since the perma-tanned Robert Kilroy-Silk threw his hat in the ring.

The former Labour MP and UKIP MEP has got through nearly as many parties as his Veritas deputy Damien Hockney, who is on at least his fourth, but this time Kilroy-Silk is leader and determined to "change the face of British politics forever."

He has chosen his battleground, in the heart of the East Midlands European constituency he won for UKIP last year, carefully.

Even so it will be a struggle for the ex-daytime TV presenter to wrest the working class constituency from Labour's Liz Blackman.

Out on the streets Kilroy-Silk is a master at winning round the floating voters with his touchy-feely charm but the human touch is less evident in right-wing policies that include ending multiculturalism and getting tough on asylum.

Veritas' proposals, launched on Thursday, have upset Kilroy-Silk's British National Party opponent Sadie Graham who accuses the party of "stealing our policies".

But the man who left UKIP after he was denied the leadership says his party stands for a range of issues.

"We will talk about Europe, asylum, crime and pensions... and we will work on zero tolerance for crime," he said.

Law and order

Law and order is certainly an issue in an area plagued with graffiti, vandalism and other anti-social behaviour.

Blackman told the BBC she has "lobbied like mad for community support officers and for Asbos to be served when needed".

And she promises that "Labour will campaign on their improvements and the role I play in representing the people of Erewash".

Tory candidate David Simmons, who in theory should be Blackman's major rival, also recognises crime as a potentially seat winning issue.

"The level of gun crime in Nottingham and Derby is growing - and Erewash falls neatly between those two cities," he said

"The area has no police custody facilities, which means suspects are taken to Ripley and this takes police off the beat."

Tax

Liberal Democrat Martin Garnett says his party will focus on replacing council tax with local income tax.

Garnett said: "I would love to creep through the middle into second place if the right wing split the vote."

And quite a right wing split it is with UKIP candidate Geoffrey Kingscott running as well.

"We came first in the European elections in Erewash, so since then this has been seen as a key seat for us.

"People who vote Veritas will be voting for Kilroy-Silk the celebrity, rather than for the policies he theoretically espouses."

But even if true will that be enough to stop him?