'I've got a smile on my face and a spring in my step': Starmer on last-minute visit to Cannock Chase
If the polls are right, Sir Keir Starmer is hours away from an historic election victory.
And he has chosen Cannock Chase, with a Conservative majority of 20,000, for what may well be his last appearance in the region before Thursday's General Election.
Is Labour's domination of this election now so strong that even seats like this are within the party's grasp?
"It's constituencies like this that will make the difference, and in places like this, it will be getting our votes out on the day, persuading voters that change is possible," Sir Keir tells a group of about 60 loyal supporters at Norton Canes Community Centre.
"We have been campaigning since day one with a smile on our faces and a spring in our step with a very positive case to take the country about change."
Sir Keir is in the area to promote candidate Josh Newbury, who is now deputy leader of Cannock Chase District Council.
The atmosphere is jovial, but not as febrile as it was when Sir Keir visited Halesowen just under three weeks ago. To coin the Labour leader's catchphrase, most of the 'hard yards' have been done, and he seems much more relaxed than he did then.
Cannock Chase was one of the first places Rishi Sunak visited at the start of the election campaign, prompting many commentators to question whether the election would be more about shoring up the Tory strongholds than taking the fight to the opposition. But this was not always the case. Prior to 2010 – and two sets of boundary changes – the former mining community had been solidly Labour, and the party gained control of the district council at the May elections.
