Rather like the City Seats Initiative, the Coalfield Seats Initiative has seen four candidates now selected for adjoining seats in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire which are not the strongest areas for the Conservatives. They are:
- Ashfield - Gary Hickton will take on former Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon, who has a notional majority of 10,370 over the Conservatives. The seat was won by the Conservatives at a 1977 by-election but reverted to type at the 1979 general election.
- Bolsover - Lee Rowley has the pleasure of taking on veteran Labour Left-winger Dennis Skinner, who has a notional majority of 19,260 over the Lib Dems - although the Conservatives are less than 100 votes behind them in third place.
- Chesterfield - Carolyn Abbott - an original member of the A List - will fight Tony Benn's old seat which was gained by the Lib Dems on his retirement in 2001. Paul Holmes now has a notional majority of 2,733 over Labour, with the Conservatives in third place with 8.3% of the vote.
- Mansfield - Tracy Critchlow contests this seat which the Conservatives came within 56 votes of wining in 1987. Labour's Alan Meale now defends a notional majority of 13,776 over the Conservatives.