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Final day on the Rochester and Strood by-election campaign trail, with visits from Andy Burnham, Michael Dugher and Harriet Harman

By: Jenni Horn jhorn@thekmgroup.co.uk

Published: 09:01, 19 November 2014

It is the final day of campaigning for the candidates in the Rochester and Strood by-election today.

Labour have been pulling out all the stops with not one, not two but three visits from shadow ministers.

Andy Burnham, Shadow Secretary of State for Health, met with local residents in Rochester this morning before campaigning door to door with Labour candidate Naushabah Khan.

Naushabah Khan is part of a group of volunteers campaigning for the Democrats

While Michael Dugher, Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, will visit the site of the new Rochester railway station.

This afternoon Harriet Harman, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party and Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, was due to join Ms Khan on a campaign session in Rochester.

Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman

Also this afternoon, Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, is doorstep campaigning in Gordon Terrace, Rochester, with Tory candidate Kelly Tolhurst.

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Prime Minister David Cameron visited a company in Halling yesterday – completing his promised five trips to the constituency.

He defended the party’s “kitchen sink” strategy in the by-election battle for Rochester and Strood, saying it was the right thing to do.

Ukip is odds on to win on tomorrow and return Mark Reckless as its second MP to Parliament after he defected to the party from the Conservatives and resigned.

MP Mark Reckless
The media scrum at Hoo Marina Park

There was a media scrum this morning when reporters descended on the cafe at Hoo Marina Park to meet Mark Reckless.

There will be 50 polling stations open 7am until 10pm tomorrow, followed by the count at Medway Park in Gillingham.

The results are expected to be announced at around 3.30am.

Residents in Penninsula ward will also be going to the polls to vote for a new local councillor. It follows Chris Irvine’s defection to Ukip.

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The Penninsula ward declaration will take place at around 1.30am.

Neil Davies, the chief executive of Medway Council, is the acting returning officer responsible for planning and coordinating the by-election.

He said: “The parliamentary and local council by-elections being held are very important and we expect there to be a high turn out at the polling stations. “

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