Is Cheshire a key election battleground?

Where are the signs pointing in Cheshire?

The county of Cheshire could become a key battleground in the general election.

With a diverse spread of affluent country enclaves and post-industrial urban areas, it has long been a broad political canvas.

In the first full week of campaigning, both the Conservatives and Labour have sent big hitters to the area.

And with constituency boundaries changing and some former MPs choosing not to stand again, all the main parties will be standing candidates and there is everything to play for.

Changes to the map

The city of Chester is split into two constituencies

As well as the Conservatives and Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the Greens, Reform are planning on standing across the county, and a number of independents will also contest seats.

The western side of Cheshire has traditionally been Labour-dominated, where was in the east the Conservatives have held sway.

Places such as Congleton, Macclesfield and Tatton have never had a Labour MP.

These areas are set to stay largely the same as a result of the boundary review, but other areas are set to change.

Ellesmere Port and Neston - Labour for more than 20 years - becomes Ellesmere Port and Bromborough, while another Labour seat, Weaver Vale, is being abolished.

The historic city of Chester has been divided into two with Chester North and Neston including much of the city centre.

But Chester south of the River Dee falls into the more rural Chester South and Eddisbury, a large constituency which is bordered by Wales in the east, Shropshire in the south and Staffordshire in the west.

And there is a new constituency bringing together the three salt towns of Middlewich, Northwich and Winsford.

Swing v safe seats

The Manchester Ship Canal runs through Warrington

While Warrington North has always had a Labour MP, Warrington South is often considered a bellwether for general elections.

And the former Tory MP, Andy Carter, is not standing again.

Crewe and Nantwich is also another seat where the last MP - Conservative Kieran Mullan - is not standing.

So at least two areas will have new MPs.

Some polls have suggested some of the safer Conservative seats such as Macclesfield and Tatton - previously held by George Osborne and Esther McVey - could also be Tory losses.

Big names visiting the county

Former Conservative Prime Minister Lord Cameron visited a Macclesfield pub

On Tuesday, former Prime Minister Lord Cameron visited Macclesfield as part of his tour of the North West.

Macclesfield is a seat that has historically been safely Tory.

The party has held it since 1918 and in 2019, Conservative David Rutley secured a 10,000 majority.

But Labour is hoping to take it and has made itself visible there. Its candidate has had a shop on the high street since before the election was announced.

Lord Cameron dismissed the idea his visit to Macclesfield suggested the Conservatives were in trouble there.

“David Rutley is one of the ministers in my time in the Foreign Office, I wanted to come here and give him my support,” he said.

Rishi Sunak visited a farm in Macclesfield

On Friday, the Prime Minister also visited Macclesfield.

He went to a farm in Gawsworth during a tour of the North West.

He was joined by David Rutley and bottle-fed three orphaned lambs.

Labour visit

Labour's Rachel Reeves met supporters in Northwich

On Thursday, it was a new seat which received a senior Labour figure.

Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves was in Northwich, meeting campaigners outside a school.

She was talking to supporters about her plans for the economy.

Northwich is in the new constituency of Mid Cheshire.

It is made up of parts of what was Eddisbury - where there has been a Conservative MP - and Weaver Vale, which previously had a Labour MP, so one that both parties will be keen to secure.

With five weeks left to go, Cheshire is likely to see more visits from senior political figures as the parties vie to redraw its political map in their favour.