Putney gain from Conservative David Mellor 0 ( 0.0%) 17,108 (38.9%) 20,084 (45.7%) 4,739 (10.8%) 0 ( 0.0%) 2,064 ( 4.7%) 60,176 43,995 (73.1%) David Mellor Putney 7,526 (15.6%) 25,188 (52.2%) 17,662 (36.6%) 4,636 ( 9.6%) 0 ( 0.0%) 757 ( 1.6%) Conservative 61,878 48,243 (78.0%) -13.3% +9.0% +1.2% +0.0% +3.1% -2.8% -4.9% Putney, in west London, will receive as much attention as any constituency at the next general election. There are a couple of reasons for this. What was once a tight Conservative-Labour marginal has seen some fairly comfortable Tory wins in recent elections, largely because of the 'Wandsworth effect'. Voters in this particular London Borough have been wooed by a Conservative council that has consistently produced the lowest local taxation in the capital. As in the neighbouring Battersea, the Tory vote has held up unusually well in Putney, and Labour would need an 8 per cent swing to regain a seat they held from 1964 to 1979. This seems unlikely at first sight. However - and this is the main reason for the press attention - personalities intervene. The Conservative MP is a high profile figure, David Mellor, an ex-Minister sacked after allegations of scandal, and now a radio presenter and multiple holder of business consultancies. Along with more familiar party opposition, he is also to face Sir James Goldsmith, the multimillionaire founder and leader of the Referendum party, which is somewhat sceptical of Britain's role in the European Union. With such high-profile figures, look for a well-publicised campaign in Putney. However, it would be unwise to assume that Goldsmith will split Mellor's vote rather than his opponents', and indeed he may help the Conservative get back in in this affluent and middle-class seat. 2,558 7.29 9.03 81 557 1.59 11.17 14 293 0.84 11.25 7 632 1.80 14.70 12 16,303 46.47 10.45 445 262 0.75 2.81 27 1,268 3.61 8.01 45 488 1.39 15.25 9 1,372 3.91 7.13 55 10,748 30.64 10.17 301