THERE are now less than two weeks until you cast your vote in the General Election.

Labour will be looking to defend both Warrington North and Warrington South which it won in the last vote in 2017.

But the Conservatives are pushing hard and the Liberal Democrats have their sights set on Warrington South.

And the Brexit Party will also be looking to upset the apple cart.

So how are the parties trying to win your vote and what policies are they targeting?

FACEBOOK ADVERTISING >

One of the main talking points nationally in this election, and others around the world recently, has been the role of Facebook and paid ads.

And in Warrington, we have found evidence of Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and Brexit Party paying for Facebook ads.

All parties have so far spent hundreds of pounds in the town on targeted advertising campaigns.

The Conservatives have spent the most.

Warrington Guardian:

Interestingly, the party is mostly targeting men.

This advert from Wendy Maisey is fairly reflective, and is targeting the male vote.

An early theme in the campaign was 'Warrington Man' – the notion that traditionally strong Labour voters in northern towns with a rugby league following will hold the key to the election and would be targeted by the Tories over Brexit.

Warrington Guardian:

For Labour, Faisal Rashid has been prolific and the NHS is the a clear target for the party.

Brexit does not appear on any of the paid for ads we have been able to see from the Labour Party.

Warrington Guardian:

There is also a clear tactic from Labour to 'get the vote out'.

Charlotte Nichols, Warrington North candidate, has paid for an ad earlier this week urging people to send back their postal votes.

Warrington Guardian:

Interestingly the Brexit Party nationally is targeting Warrington North.

Conservative candidate there Wendy Maisey has already spoken of how a vote for the Brexit party could deny the Tories the seat in the north.

But the Brexit Party says only they can beat Jeremy Corbyn in Warrington North.

Warrington Guardian:

POST >

While the traditional method of posting letters, leaflets and newsletters remains popular, we are hearing that many homes in Warrington (especially in the north) have received little or no election material at all.

Especially popular is the 'newspaper' style drops.

The Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats have all used this tactics.

Of course there is little to nothing of actual news in there - just plenty of election propaganda, claims and counter claims.

Warrington Guardian:

Leaflets are also popular and have already hit the headlines in Warrington this campaign.

The Liberal Democrats have been keen to use their relative success in the local elections to cast Warrington South as a two horse race between themselves and Labour.

But the message Conservatives can't win here is weakened by the fact they did in 2010 and 2015.

Warrington Guardian:

TWITTER >

Early in the campaign, Twitter announced it would be banning political advertising.

Of course, that is relatively easy for the social media platform to do given it got a tiny fraction of political ads compared to Facebook.

But all candidates have been prolific on Twitter - the shot of them with campaigners on the streets being most effective.

THE ISSUES>

So what are the policies at play here.

On Brexit, this is clearly an area the Tories want to target. Get Brexit Done is they key message.

The issue is in most of their election material, and often front and central.

Warrington Guardian:

This 'front page' of one of the fake newspapers in Warrington South being a classic example.

It also is used a lot on Facebook and Twitter.

But Warrington South candidate Andy Carter has also been very strong on the NHS and the hospital - which goes against the conventional view that this is Labour territory.

For Labour, Brexit is hardly mentioned. Which is probably unsurprising given the leave vote in Warrington in the Referendum and Labour's somewhat unclear position.

Faisal Rashid material says he is backing remain but it is not a central part of any of the material we have seen. 

Jeremy Corbyn also remains absent from much of the election material we have seen locally.

The NHS is their key issue. And Faisal Rashid, who won Warrington South, two years ago is presenting himself as the trusted and 'safe' choice to be re-elected.

Warrington Guardian:

For the Liberal Democrats, local issues – so important in their success at a council level – are front and centre.

Warrington Guardian:

Ryan Bate, Warrington South candidate, presents himself as the local candidate and also is really the only candidate promoting remain on the EU debate as a central issue. He has produced a number of posts directly referring to remain. 

YOU DECIDE >

Of course all of this is just campaigning.

The choice as they say, is yours.

Warrington goes to the polls on December 12.

WARRINGTON SOUTH

Labour – Faisal Rashid

Conservative – Andy Carter

Liberal Democrat – Ryan Bate

Brexit Party – Clare Aspinall

Social Democratic Party – Kevin Hickson

WARRINGTON NORTH

Labour – Charlotte Nichols

Conservative – Wendy Maisey

Liberal Democrat – David Crowther

Brexit Party – Elizabeth Babade

Green Party – Lyndsay McAteer