The selection of Esher and Walton’s next MP could be decided with a bout of karate.

This is what the Labour Party’s parliamentary hopeful for the constituency Francis Eldergill jokes during an interview with the Elmbridge Guardian.

Mr Eldergill, who works in IT in financial services, is a karate enthusiast - a passion he shares with his Tory opponent Dominic Raab.

“Work keeps me very busy but outside of it my main interest is karate,” the Thames Ditton resident says.

"I got a black belt in Taekwondo over 20 years ago and when my kids were old enough to start training, I started back with them.

"I'm now also a brown belt in Kyokushinkai Karate and help out at the local club.”

But while the Conservative’s Mr Raab is a black belt and has represented Great Britain in the martial art - meaning Mr Eldergill would possibly not come out on top in a karate match - the Labour candidate believes he can conquer his opponent in the political ring.

He says: “I believe in choice, opportunity and the community.

"If I read Dominic Raab right, he seems a decent guy, but he focuses on just choice and not opportunity and community.

“I take a more balanced view. I want people to have equal opportunities.

"These things come together with a good sense of community - it’s the foundation.

"We will only get the answers if we all come together.”

Esher and Walton has never had a Labour MP and in the 2005 election, the party came third behind the Tories and the Lib Dems.

If you add the fact there is only one Labour councillor in the whole of Surrey, it would seem Mr Eldergill, the son of a teacher and a lecturer, has a struggle on his hands to convince the electorate to vote for him.

But this has not deterred him.

He says: “I’m a great believer in trying to connect with people personally, not producing bog standard brochures and formulaic press releases. I want to convince people one at a time. A lot of that has been lost in politics.