THE General Election campaign has officially started and the fight for Halesowen and Rowley Regis promises to be one of the closest contests in the country.

The Conservative Party's James Morris, who won in 2010, and Labour's Stephanie Peacock are neck and neck in the polls ahead of the May 7 poll.

The battle for the Black Country made national headlines last week with the Conservatives' Dudley North candidate Afzal Amin having a spectacular fall from grace after he was exposed trying to do a deal with the far right English Defence League in a Birmingham curry house.

He has since quit and former leader of Dudley Council councillor Les Jones is now in the frame to replace Mr Amin by the Tories.

Mr Morris, along with other local Tories, was disgusted by the revelations.

He said: "Afzal's resignation now draws a line under the issue and we can now focus on fighting the election in Dudley North."

Mr Morris, who won with a 2023 majority in 2010, launched his official campaign at The Stag and Three Horseshoes, Halesowen Road, flanked by over 30 supporters.

He said: “I have worked hard over the last five years to take practical action on important local issues like promoting jobs and skills through my jobs and skills fairs.

"I have also campaigned for more and better services at Rowley Regis Hospital, improving our local railway stations and my plan for the future is about continuing to take a practical, hands on approach to delivering improvements to local public services and taking action strengthen the local economy."

He added: "This year's General Election is the most important for a generation.

"It is important that Halesowen and Rowley Regis has the best local representative - making sure that the benefits of a growing economy are delivering better public services locally."

He added: "A vote here won't just be about deciding who will represent the local area, because this is one of a handful out of 650 seats that will determine who will be PM and responsible for Britain's future - Ed Milliband or David Cameron.

"I will be campaigning hard to be re-elected as part of a strong, majority government under David Cameron."

Labour hopeful Stephanie Peacock joined Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham MP at crisis-hit Russells Hall Hospital on Monday to officially launch her campaign.

The Shadow Health Secretary met with union representatives, councillors, activists, health campaigners and hospital staff when he visited the hospital.

He outlined Labour's plans to tackle the financial crisis affecting hospital trusts across the country including The Dudley Group where 400 jobs are under threat.

Joined by Dudley North MP Ian Austin, Miss Peacock and the party’s Dudley South candidate Natasha Millward, Mr Burnham made promises of an extra 2.5 billion each year to help "get the NHS back on its feet and pay for more nurses, more doctors and more midwives" and said he would repeal the Government's health and social care act if Labour wins.

He said: "The fight that is now ahead is a fight for the future of the NHS. In the last five years it's gone down and down and down. Not one single person in the constituency gave Cameron and Clegg permission to reorganise the NHS; we've got to make sure Thursday, May 7 is Cameron's day of reckoning on the NHS."

Miss Peacock said: "Russells Hall stands to lose one in 10 jobs. "Not just in management or back office roles, but also front line medical services such as theatre staff, radiographers and blood analysts.

“I've knocked on thousands of doors in the constituency, and know this for certain. Local people are extremely worried."

She added: “After five years of David Cameron's Government, there isn't room for doubt, you can't trust the Tories with the NHS."

Dudley Green Party members have selected John Payne as the Parliamentary candidate for the constituency.

John has lived in Halesowen since 1977 and has been politically active almost as long. A former Further Education and Sixth-form college lecturer, he joined the Green Party in 2009 after spells in the Labour party and the Respect Coalition.

He said: “The election debate seems to be very short-termist, I’d like to remind electors of the longer-term issues, both economic and environmental."

Gornal councillor Dean Perks was chosen last year as UKIP's candidate for the forthcoming election fight.

The Liberal Democrats have chosen former South Gloucestershire councillor Peter Tyzack to contest the election.