General Election 2015 - Meet the Maldon candidates

John Whittingdale, Conservative

JOHN Whittingdale has been Maldon’s MP since 1992.

He is divorced and has two children, Henry and Alice.

He was educated at Winchester College and University College, London, where he graduated with a degree in economics.

Prior to his election, he worked both in Whitehall and the City.

In July 2005 he was elected chairman of the House of Commons culture, media and sport select committee.

On local issues, the 55-year-old, who lives locally, has been involved in pushing for a new hospital in Maldon.

Peter Edwards, Labour

PETER Edwards, 32, grew up in Essex and went to school in Brentwood and Chelmsford.

He is a graduate of York and Edinburgh universities, and worked for regional papers around England until last year.

During this time he covered floods, murder trials and a train crash as well as much of the financial crisis.

He has carried out voluntary work with homeless people over the last decade in York, Leeds and London. He is a trustee of a credit union, and homeless charity the Simon Community, as well as working on an Essex County Cricket Board advisory group which helps amateur clubs to improve their finances.

Mr Edwards most recently worked as a researcher for Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Chris Leslie.

Bob Graves, Green

BOB Graves grew up in Thurrock and lived there until 2001, when he moved to the Maldon district, and now lives near Maldon with his wife and son, ten, and daughter, eight.

He has been a member of the Green Party for many years and has stood as a Green candidate in local elections throughout that time.

Insurance consultant Mr Graves, 52, is particularly interested in wildlife. He enjoys the Essex marshes and the bluebell woods around Braxted and Tiptree.

For about 20 years, he has undertaken surveys of local birds, mammals and butterflies and, further afield, whales, dolphins and seabirds in British and European waters.

He and his family are also keen supporters of local and organic foods, receiving a weekly vegetable box from an organic farm in the Maldon district.

Beverley Acevedo, Ukip

BEVERLEY Acevedo is a married mum of one in her mid 50s.

She went to school in Ongar before finishing her education in London at a drama and performing arts school.

Mrs Acevedo left school at 16 and her first job was working as a dancer for Lionel Blair, who was her choreographer.

She went on to work for different choreographers and was involved in television commercials.

For the last 21 years, Mrs Acevedo and her husband have run restaurants in Essex.

The family have lived in Althorne for the last 15 years and have a horse, two dogs and until recently some chickens.

Mrs Acevedo is a keen supporter of local charities, including the Essex Air Ambulance.

Zoe O’Connell, Lib Dem

ZOE O’Connell grew up in Burnham, attending school in Chelmsford before going on to study computerscience at Brunel University in London.

She worked in computing after graduating.

Zoe has held a number of senior technical roles, most notably for internet service providers, but also in a wide variety of other industries.

Her technical work often bought her into contact with the police and security services.

This inspired much of her early political activity, which centred on online civil liberties.

Zoe is also known for her work on equalities, in particular lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues.

She has three children and can often be found sailing locally around the Crouch and Blackwater rivers.