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Which parties are making Kent their battleground?

Keir Starmer, starting his campaign at Gillingham football ground.Image source, Getty Images
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On day one of the campaign, the Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer came to Gillingham’s Priestfield football stadium to kick off his bid to become Prime Minister.

After a speech delivered to a crowd of Labour activists and political hopefuls, he told me a vote for Labour would help "rebuild our country”.

Three weeks into the campaign, however, and the questions about how parties will pay for their promises still looms large.

Recent TV debates and manifesto launches have all centred on who is telling the truth when it comes to paying for what parties have said they’ll deliver if elected.

Kent has also seen Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage kick off his party's campaign in Dover, with the topic of immigration being at the front of his message to the electorate.

Speaking to me on the sea front in Dover, Mr Farage said: “Starmer has nothing to say (on immigration) and Sunaks plan wouldn’t work.”

Image source, Getty Images

Some had previously said Nigel Farage wouldn’t have much interest in this election.

However less than a week after appearing in Dover, the man from Kent was putting his hat back in the ring to become an MP for the 8th time, this time in Clacton, Essex.

Grassroots Conservatives in Kent have been critical of their own local campaign thus far, but James Cleverly, the 鶹Լ Secretary, completed his whistle stop tour in Rochester in an attempt to drum up support.

Image source, Getty Images

Mr Cleverly was the first Conservative heavy hitter to visit Kent since the election was called.

Some Conservatives have been telling me they’re worried they’re not getting the support they’ll need to keep Kent as blue as the 2019 general election turned it.

We’re still waiting for the Lib Dems and Green visits, which I’ve been told will be happening in the coming weeks.