WITH the general election only less than a week away we look at how people in Southampton Itchen voted in the past years.

The seat is one of the most marginal in the country and one of the places where next Thursday’s election could be won or lost.

In 2017 Conservative Royston Smith, who was first elected in 2015, retained his seat beating Labour Simon Letts by only 31 votes.

Here are the 2017 results in full:

- SMITH, Royston Matthew, Conservative, 21773 Elected

- LETTS, Simon Jonathan, Labour, 21742

-BELL, Eleanor, Liberal Democrats, 1421

- ROSE, Kim, UKIP, 1122

-PEARCE, Rosie Beth, Green Party, 725

Mr Smith and Mr Letts are now ready for a re-match. Mr Rose is also standing again as the UKIP candidate. Also standing are  Liberal Democrat Liz Jarvis and Green Party candidate Osman Sen-Chadun.

After weeks of canvassing, candidates have now thrown down the gauntlet and in less than a week they will find out who will be representing Southampton Itchen residents in Westminster.

Itchen is  a constituency that has a long association with Southampton’s maritime past, being the home of the Vosper Thornycroft ship-building yard until 2003.

It is home to the busiest cruise port in northern Europe, The Mayflower Theatre, a newly opened cultural quarter and art gallery, WestQuay shopping centre and Solent University, one of the two universities in the city.

For many this will be a Brexit election, but there are many other issues that seem to be concerning Itchen constituencies.

Pollution, housing, homelessness, education, traffic and economic growth seem to be at the forefront of voters’ mind.

It comes as a number of sites in the city centre are set for a complete makeover as part of moves that aim to attract new businesses and retain students.