With polling day just days away, the four men fighting for the Crewe & Nantwich seat are turning up the heat.
Campaigning has been rigorous, public appearances numerous – here is your Nantwichnews guide to the four candidates before May 7.
Conservative candidate Edward Timpson is campaigning on three fronts in Crewe & Nantwich.
He says he aims to bring more jobs and apprenticeships to the region, and further investment in local health, education, road and rail services.
Mr Timpson, who took the seat the 2008 by-election after the death of Labour’s Gwyneth Dunwoody, is also campaigning to bring a referendum on EU membership.
“It’s been five years of hard work since the last election – not just for me, but for everyone in Crewe and Nantwich.
“Things are on the up as a result. Local unemployment is now lower than when I was first elected during the 2008 crash.”
His man challenger for the seat is Labour and candidate Dr Adrian Heald. Polls suggest Labour has a narrow lead of 2-3%.
Dr Heald, who works at Leighton Hospital, has made the NHS one of the central themes of his campaign.
But he also focuses on childcare, zero hours contracts, and taxes.
“Many parents in Crewe and Nantwich are now finding childcare costs so much that it doesn’t make sense to return to work,” he said.
“Labour will provide 25 hours free childcare each week to working parents of 3 and 4 year olds.
“Every primary school in Crewe and Nantwich will provide childcare from 8am to 6pm each day to help parents balance work and family lives.”
According to the polls, UKIP are on target to secure around 13-14% of the vote in Crewe and Nantwich.
UKIP’s constituency candidate Richard Lee has been campaigning for “real change”, focusing on control of borders, fairer tax system, investment in the NHS, and ditching EU membership.
“I stand against uncontrolled immigration that has seen our towns changed beyond recognition, and the NHS stretched to bursting point,” he said.
“I oppose the destruction of our green spaces due to planning laws that give developers the whip hand.
“This constituency has had Labour and Conservative MPs, yet nothing ever changes for the better. Enough is enough – it’s time for change.”
For the Liberal Democrats, Roy Wood says he is bringing his 30 years of experience working in schools to his campaign.
Improving education is one of the central themes, as well as creating more apprenticeship places, and increasing public sector pay.
Liberal Democrats say they will ringfence education spending for 2 to 19 year-olds per pupil in real terms – raising overall spend of £49.2bn to £55.3bn by 2020.
“We believe above all else in spreading opportunity, in tearing down the barriers that stop people from reaching their potential,” he said.
“Nothing is more crucial to that than education. Cutting funding as the economy improves, as the other parties want to do, is unacceptable to Liberal Democrats.”
In 2010, turnout was 65.9%, and Edward Timpson secured 45.8% of that vote, with Labour’s David Williams 6,000 votes behind on 34%. Roy Wood secured 7,656, or 15% of the vote.
It was the 2008 by-election which thrust Crewe & Nantwich into the national spotlight.
Mr Timpson won with a majority of almost 8,000 votes – which nationally was the first gain for the Tories at a parliamentary by-election since 1982 during the Falklands War, and the first from Labour since 1978.
Polling booths for 2015 open at 7am and close at 10pm on Thursday May 7.
The count takes place at Shavington Leisure Centre, with the results due in the early hours of May 8.
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