GEOFFREY VAN ORDEN(Conservative)Born in 1945, married with three daughters. Lives at Bildeston, Suffolk.Retired brigadier, British army, in the field of counter-intelligence.

GEOFFREY VAN ORDEN

(Conservative)

Born in 1945, married with three daughters. Lives at Bildeston, Suffolk.

Retired brigadier, British army, in the field of counter-intelligence. Last military appointment was at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

Regional MEP since 1999. Conservative spokesman on defence and human rights in the European Parliament.

ROBERT STURDY

(Conservative)

Born in 1944, married with two children. Lives at Little Thurlow near Haverhill, Suffolk.

Established a family farming business, mainly in arable crops. Former NFU chairman of the regional livestock committee and sugar beet, potatoes and cereals committee.

MEP for Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire 1994-1999. Regional MEP since 1999, Conservative for rural development in the European Parliament.

CHRISTOPHER BEAZLEY

(Conservative)

Born in 1952, married with three children. Lives in Walkern, Hertfordshire.

Elected MEP for Cornwall and Plymouth from 1984-94. East regional MEP since 1999. Conservative spokesman on culture, media, education and sport in the European Parliament.

JEFFREY TITFORD

(UKIP)

Aged 70. Married with four children. Lives in Frinton-on-Sea, Essex.

Retired funeral director and past president of the national association of funeral directors. Former Clacton urban district councillor.

Elected regional MEP in 1999.

TOM WISE

(UKIP)

Aged 56. Married with two children. Lives in Linslade, Bedfordshire.

Formerly the UK managing director of Germany's biggest herb and spine company. Has managed Jeffrey Titford's Chelmsford office since 2001.

RICHARD HOWITT

(Labour)

Aged 43. Lives with partner and their two children in Cambridge.

Harlow councillor for 11 years, including three as council leader. Worked for eight years for a disability organisation.

MEP for South Essex from 1994 to 1999. Regional MEP since 1999. Works in the European Parliament to overcome disability discrimination throughout the EU.

ANDREW DUFF

(Liberal Democrat)

Born Christmas Day 1950. Unmarried. Lives in Cambridge.

Former director of the Federal Trust for Education and Research, one of Europe's leading think tanks on European integration.

Elected MEP 1999. Member of the convention which drafted the Charter of Fundamental Rights. Sat on the constitutional convention on the Future of Europe, which drafted the proposed Constitution.