Douglas Carswell - UKIP
Douglas Carswell was first elected as a Conservative MP in 2005.  But he sensationally quit the Tory party in August last year and resigned his seat, triggering a by-election that he won in Ukip colours.  He was re-elected with an increased majority of 12,404 votes.  Mr Carswell was born in 1971 and lived in Uganda until his late teens, before going on to read history at the University of East Anglia and King's College, London.  He worked in business, commercial television and fund management before going into politics.  As Clacton’s MP he was part of the successful campaigns to keep open Clacton Hospital's maternity unit and Peter Bruff mental health ward. Mr Carswell is married to Clementine and has a six year old daughter – and Crumble, the dog.  He is a regular church-goer, he is keen on gardening, runs to keep fit and makes his own jam.

Tim Young - Labour
FORMER Clacton schoolboy Tim Young will be hoping to claw back votes for Labour after the party polled less than 4,000 votes in October.  Mr Young went to St Clare's Primary School and Clacton County High School.  He had a 20 year career in the financial services industry where he was also a union representative. He has been a borough councillor for 23 years and has been leader of the Labour group on Colchester Borough Council since 1997.  He stood for election as the parliamentary candidate for North Essex in 1997. He also stood in the Clacton by-election in October. Mr Young has been active in campaigns for to retain services, including the maternity unit, at Clacton Hospital and to get the streetlights turned back on.  He is also son and nephew to Reg and Bob, who have been popular entertainers in Clacton for 60 years.

David Grace - Liberal Democrat
David Grace was born in Leigh-on-Sea and spent his early years in Southend.  He studied economics and history at Cambridge University, where he was elected president of the Cambridge Union.  He has worked in the private, public and voluntary sectors, as a lawyer, a software developer, an investigator for the Local Government Ombudsman and as a campaigner for regional development and environmental conservation.  He has been married and has two grown-up sons, a rugby player and an actor, and has performed in cabaret himself in Bournemouth, Blackpool, Brighton and at the Edinburgh Festival.  Mr Grace currently runs the James Madison Trust, an educational charity, and the Social Liberal Forum, which fights for a fairer economy and a stronger society.  Mr Grace is also an executive member of the European Movement, founded by Winston Churchill to promote unity in place of war, and frequently speaks in schools and public meetings about the issue.