Altrincham and Sale West's top two candidates went head-to-head on a number of important issues with a week to go until the general election.

The Conservative Party's Oliver Carroll and Labour Party's Connor Rand were among those in attendance at a hustings this week in Timperley.

The event in Adshead Hall, Wellington School, was, in general, good-humoured as the candidates addressed politics students as well as their parents and their teachers.

The others in attendance at the hustings were Paul Swansborough (Reform UK), Jane Brophy (Lib Dem) and Dan Jerrome (Green), who was standing in for Geraldine Coggins.

Mr Carroll and Mr Rand went head-to-head on important issues like education, the NHS and Places for Everyone.

(Image: Newsquest)

Mr Carroll said: "There is a threat and it is the Labour Party's pernicious plan to put VAT on the private sector. They are punishing parents who strive to take their children out of the state sector.

"If the tax is brought in thousands of these children will come into the state sector where there are no places. I urge the Labour Party to roll back on this policy as they roll back on other policies."

Mr Rand said: "Parents are turning against the Conservative Party because they know the reality in our schools in the last 14 years. 

"They know the students are suffering because of the Conservative Party."

ALSO READ: All the Trafford battlegrounds in the General Election 2024.

On the NHS, Mr Rand said the system is not working but Mr Carroll said this is a result of the coronavirus crisis and of strikes by the Labour Party candidate's "comrades", a reference to his background in trade unionism.

On Places for Everyone, the Labour Party candidate was the only one to back the blueprint for housebuilding in Greater Manchester, which includes the loss of Green Belt across Carrington Moss and Timperley Wedge.

Mr Carroll said: "Do you want someone to fight for you or someone to go along with Sir Keir Starmer or whoever is left when the left of the party oust him? This is personal for me and it is personal for you and I want to give you a choice to elect someone who gets it."

Mr Rand said: "The Conservative Government cannot run from its record. I want us to wake up to a Labour Government to change the country for the better and I want to give you a voice in this government."

(Image: Newsquest)

At the last general election the Conservative Party's Sir Graham Brady won Altrincham and Sale West by a margin of around 6,000 votes.

At this general election the polling says Mr Carroll and Mr Rand are the top two candidates but the margin between them is tightening.

Here are all the candidates:

Brophy, Jane (Liberal Democrats)
Carroll, Oliver (Conservative Party)
Coggins, Geraldine (Green Party)
Kabir, Faisal (Workers Party)
Rand, Connor (Labour Party)
Swansborough, Paul (Reform UK)

This article was written by Jack Tooth. To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.