By political editor Paul Francis

A Kent Labour MP has rejected suggestions that his prediction of a hung Parliament means he expects some of his colleagues in the county will lose.

Sittingbourne and Sheppey MP Derek Wyatt, who is standing down after 13 years, said he expected there to be a no clear winner after May 6.

If the election produces a hung Parliament, there would be a swing against Labour that would - if reproduced in Kent - lead to at least some, if not all, of the county's seven Labour MPs losing.

Pressed on whether his prediction meant he believed that would happen, the MP, whose constituency is regarded as one of two "ultra marginals" in the county with a majority of just 79, said: "I think there will be a hung Parliament.

"How that will come out, who knows? I do not want to speculate, it is too early to read the polls.

"[But] everyone is saying it will be hung. That means seats in the south east will be vulnerable, that seems fairly widely accepted."

He insisted that as the campaign went on, there would be a further narrowing of the gap with the Conservatives in the polls and Labour would be "out to win it, not to lose it".

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The largest majority that Labour holds in its Kent constituencies is Dover, where it is just under 5,000. In most, it is just a few hundred votes.

Mr Wyatt's comments come as the most recent opinion polls suggest the Conservative lead has slipped back since Gordon Brown announced the date of the election at the start of the week.

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