Stroud candidates 16 year battle

The Eddie Mair Interview

For 16 years, David Drew and Neil Carmichael have campaigned against each other to be MP for Stroud.

The constituency in Gloucestershire is known as a bell-weather because it often goes the same way as the national result.

In 1997 David won for Labour, and Tony Blair moved into No.10. The next general election in 2001 saw Neil enter the race but David held on, as did the Labour government. The same happened in 2005. Then in 2010 Neil beat David and the Conservatives formed a coalition government with the Lib Dems. Neil's second success in 2015 was mirrored by the Conservatives, but in 2017 David Drew retook the parliamentary seat.

Eddie Mair speaks to the pair about what it is like going up against the same person for so many years.

(Photo: David Drew (l) and Neil Carmichael (r). Credit: BBC)