Jackie Doyle-Price, friend or foe?

Between now and the General Election on May 7 I'm highlighting my top 40 'target seats', those where the candidate standing for re-election has supported anti-tobacco policies, and those where a leading candidate is an opponent of excessive lifestyle regulations and policies that infantilise us all. With a few exceptions, I'm focussing on marginal or semi-marginal seats.

#11 - Thurrock
A curious feature of the 2015 election is the number of Conservative candidates in marginal seats who voted against plain packaging. They either felt it would make no difference to their chances of re-election (so much for David Cameron's "feelgood politics") or, shock horror, they stood by their principles. Or perhaps both. One such candidate is Jackie Doyle-Price who voted against plain packs, supported an amendment to the smoking ban, and is defending a wafer thin majority of 92. If Ukip increase their vote it will almost certainly deliver the seat to Labour and another opponent of the nanny state will bite the dust.

2010 majority: 92 (0.2%)
Estimated number of smokers in Thurrock: 18,476*
Principal opponents: Labour
Friend or foe: Friend
Target rating: Extremely vulnerable

*Based on 20% of the registered electorate in 2010

Note: marginal seats have been defined as those with majorities of 10% or less that require a swing of 5% for the incumbent party to lose.