By Community Correspondent Miles Dilworth

The race for Conservative Party target seat Richmond Park will be decided by the finest of margins. But that is the one and only matter the polls can make out as current Liberal Democrat occupant Susan Kramer and Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith both have a 49% chance (Ladbrokes) of winning come election day.

A major concern for the two candidates seems to be the proposed parking charges that could be introduced into Richmond Park, with both candidates promising to fight the idea put forward by Culture Minister Margaret Hodge, but perhaps the defining issue will be the dispute that has unfolded over the possibility that Kingston Hospital’s accident and emergency and maternity units are to be closed.

Whilst both candidates have said that they will look to protect the future of Kingston Hospital, Goldsmith accused Kramer of scare mongering for political gain. In a recent debate between the two candidates, the issue of clean politics was raised and Kramer was the first to jump to the issue of Kingston Hospital. She said that she felt she had been vindicated by recent newspaper reports that Kingston Hospital was indeed under a serious threat and had met with several chief executives who "had taken her through the logic and thought process that had led them to the decision." But Goldsmith continued to disagree. He said he believed that Kramer had "invented the campaign in order to gain a political advantage." He directly contradicted Kramer’s word by saying that he had "spoken to everyone in a position of knowledge and had yet to meet anyone who believes anything other than that this was an attempt to frighten people into supporting one party over another."

The voters are faced with a difficult decision, which may well come down to an issue of trust. It may impossible to find the truth without access to the documents but Ms Kramer pointed those concerned in the direction of the Kingston Hospital website, the 4-page South West London strategic plan and independent research from the local press to find out for themselves who has been scare mongering or smearing.

Elsewhere, Liberal Democrat deputy leader Dr Vince Cable looks set to retain his seat in the Twickenham constituency, his reputation receiving another timely boost after coming out on top of the recent channel 4 ‘Ask the Chancellors’ debate. His Conservative opponent Deborah Thomas, who has only a 13% (Ladbrokes) chance of winning the seat, said she felt it was "time for a change" and has promised to scrap recent proposals by the Liberal Democrats to built 32 homes and a river centre on Twickenham Riverside and give the land to local residents instead.