The Stockport village that voted Conservative but now 'wants the Tories out'

"It's quite terrifying that I have a good job which is reasonably well paid, but I can't afford a lot of basic things", says Mark Pillotti, a supply teacher in Hazel Grove.

He's on his way back from the pharmacy with a £20 prescription, but he needs new glasses too, which he can't afford at the moment.

He's also due a visit to the dentist - but he can't get an appointment anywhere.

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It's a situation that's left him feeling downbeat about the general election on July 4, and worried about the future.

He said: "I can just about afford to get by with my mortgage and the weekly shop, but I'm having to cut back on essential things.

"I'm worried about poverty and homelessness too, for some people life must be terrible."

Hazel Grove is considered to be a desirable part of Greater Manchester to live in, with access to the countryside and close proximity to Stockport town centre and Manchester.

It's had a Conservative MP since 2015, but Mark said he and others in the area are really struggling, and looking for political change.

The last election in Hazel Grove was a close contest between the Conservatives and Lib Dems, with a margin of around 4,000 votes.

It's made the constituency one of the UK's most closely watched swing seats, and could be an indication of whether the Tories can keep some of their core voters based in rural towns and villages.

The area's former MP, William Wragg, resigned from the Conservatives after a sexting scandal, when he admitted to giving away politicians' phone numbers to a suspected scammer.

Meanwhile, Labour has struggled to make ground in the area, winning just more than 5,000 votes in 2019.

But Mark said a combination