THE dissolution of Parliament on Monday has fired the starting gun for the General Election campaign.

In what what promises to be the tightest election for a generation, health, despite being a devolved issue, is set to play a key role.

The race for votes on Thursday May 7 will be intense with the Conservatives defending relatively small majorities in both the Preseli Pembrokeshire and Carmarthen West and Pembrokeshire South seats.

In Preseli, Stephen Crabb will defend a 4,605 majority.

In the south, Simon Hart brings a 3,423 majority into the election.

Both men are set to face their biggest challenge from the Labour candidates; Pembrokeshire County Council Labour Leader Paul Miller in Preseli Pembrokeshire and former journalist and speech writer Delyth Evans in Carmarthen West and Pembrokeshire South.

In Preseli, the announcement that respected Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist Chris Overton is to stand for the ‘Independent Save Withybush Save Lives’ party could throw a curveball into the mix.

Health is a devolved issue under the control of the Welsh Government rather than MPs at Westminster.

But the reduction of crucial services at Withybush has been a hugely controversial issue for several years and this is the first time local voters will have the chance to make their feelings known at the ballot box.

There has been particular anger reserved for Labour ministers in Cardiff Bay under whose watch the changes – including the removal of overnight paediatric services - has been made.

Will Labour be punished by their voters staying away, or even turning to Mr Overton?

Or will voters consider that Mr Overton would be best targeting an Assembly seat in 2016 and having a direct influence on Welsh health policy?

In an admittedly unscientific survey via the Western Telegraph Facebook page last week, readers were asked for what they considered to be the main issue going into the election.

The overwhelming response was that of the NHS or Withybush Hospital.

The performance of the Liberal Democrats locally, with Nick Tregoning standing again in Preseli and Selwyn Runnett in Carmarthen West, will be interesting to watch.

In 2010, Mr Tregoning was third behind Mr Crabb and the late Mari Rees (Labour) and polled 5,759 votes.

In the south, then Lib Dem candidate John Gossage was also third, attracting 4,890 votes.

Both men beat Plaid Cymru into fourth place.

At the time of the election in 2010, the Liberal Democrats were riding high (remember ‘I agree with Nick?’) but not even the most die-hard Lib Dem could imagine such a performance five years on.

After five years of coalition – including that infamous tuition fee rise - where will the voters who went to the Lib Dems in 2010 cast their vote this time around?

Plaid will aim to improve on fourth place in both constituencies and in John Osmond (Preseli) they have a candidate who pushed Labour hard in the Assembly election of 2007, fighting strongly on the issue of the future of Withybush Hospital, something he says remains a priority.

The UK Independence Party’s stock has risen dramatically since 2010 and they will be looking to increase their votes significantly from the 1,146 votes they received in the south and 906 in Preseli.

UKIP came a narrow second to the Conservatives in last year’s European Elections in Pembrokeshire although the EU election is very different from the General Election.

Add two Green Party candidates into the mix and both Preseli Pembrokeshire and Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire constituencies will be ones to watch come the early hours of May 8.

The candidates who have declared so far for both constituencies, are: Preseli Pembrokeshire: Paul Miller (Labour); Stephen Crabb (Conservative); Frances Bryant (Green); John Osmond (Plaid); Chris Overton (Save Withybush Save Lives); Howard Lillyman (UK Independence Party) Nick Tregoning (Liberal Democrat).

Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire: Elwyn Williams (Plaid); Simon Hart (Conservative); Delyth Evans (Labour); Selwyn Runnett (Liberal Democrat); John Atkinson (UK Independence Party); Gary Tapley (Green).