SO after a whistle-stop campaign for the snap 2017 General Election, the time has come for us to cast our votes.

Thurrock is a marginal constituency with each political party seeing it very much as a winnable seat.

Two years ago, Conservative Jackie Doyle-Price was re-elected after fending off a strong challenge from Labour’s Polly Billington in second and Ukip’s Tim Aker finishing in third. A recount on election night saw just 974 votes separate the top three last time around.

Fast forward two years and Labour has put former council leader John Kent in to bat, as the party bids to go one better than it did in 2015.

Most of the issues in Thurrock have been dominated by questions over infrastructure, health, transport and education.

The future of Orsett Hospital has proved a major subject too.

April saw the Government reveal its preferred Option C for the new Lower Thames Crossing – a link road between Essex and Kent.

The route could pass through Ockendon and Orsett, and north of Chadwell St Mary, before eventually reaching a tunnel at Tilbury. All candidates have opposed the decision.

Ms Doyle-Price has insisted that there will eventually need to be a new crossing, but that the option tabled is inappropriate.

She called on a visit from David Davies, the Government’s Brexit minster to help rally support.

Mr Aker remains bullish over his chances this time around and has another chance of snatching the seat away from the Tories.

Kevin McNamara is standing for the Liberal Democrats and will be looking to make ground on his rivals after polling fewer than 700 votes in 2015.

Ukip insiders have ranked Thurrock as their most likely chance of winning a seat, and Labour have it ranked in their top ten.

Both Labour and Ukip have sent out the big names to attract voters. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn took in Pitsea on his nationwide tour, and Nigel Farage, former Ukip leader, and current leader Paul Nuttall arrived in Grays to support Tim Aker.

Hundreds of residents turned out to hear what candidates had to to say at our hustings this week. The result of this election is uncertain - but what’s for sure is Thurrock is, once again, one of the country’s most hard-to-call constituencies.