THE United Kingdom goes to polls today with all eyes on Bolton.

The town has two marginal seats, one which Labour has to take to form a government 'for real' change and one which the Conservatives need to win to ensure they have the majority they need to 'Get Brexit Done'.

The Bolton News will have reporters at the count to ensure that every twist and turn of that many see as the most important General Election for a generation is recorded on its website.

As well as following what happens as it happens online, readers can catch up with what happened and what it means for future of the tow n and the country in a full round up in the print edition of the paper on Saturday.

The live online blog from the Bolton Arena will start as polls close at 10pm and bring you the excitmement of the count itself, the reaction of the candidates and their supporters will include updates on the national picture.

They eyes of party leaders Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn will be fixed on Bolton West where former Tory MP Chris Green had a majority of just 936 in 2017 and Bolton North-East where Labour's David Crausby held the seat by 3,797 votes two years ago.

The Brexit Party will be keeping a watch on Bolton South-East, where Labour's Yasmin Qureshi secured a majority of 13,126 in 2017, to see if they can eat in to her vote in the light of the constituency's 63.3 per cent vote to leave the EU in the 2016 referendum.

Mr Green is facing his biggest challenge from former Labour MP Julie Hilling whom he first beat in 2015 by 801 votes.

Also on the ballot paper are Liberal Democrat Rebecca Forrest and Green Party candidate Paris Hayes. The Brexit Party stood down its candidate.

In Bolton North-East Sir David's main challenger is likely to be Conservative Mark Logan but The Brexit Party is fielding Trevor Jones which could affect his vote.

The other candidates on the ballot paper are Liberal Democrat Warren Fox and Green Liz Spencer.

Both these marginal 'weather vane' seats should give a good indication of which way the political wind is blowing nationally when their results are declared in the early hours of tomorrow morning.

Bolton South-East should be a much simpler affair for Shadow Justice Minister Ms Qureshi as safe Labour seat for decades.

Interest here will centre here on whether Leave voters in 2016 desert the party and whether they go to Tory candidate Johno Lee or the Brexit Party's Mark Cunningham.

The Liberal Democrats are fielding Kevin Walsh and the Green Party David Figgins.

Bolton is often seen as a good indicator of the national political picture an as well as having two seats where victory could be crucial to who forms the next government how the votes split across the town will indicate whether Leave-voting Labour supporters are departing the party in big enough numbers to aid the Tories.

The results will also show whether Mr Corbyn's message of real change and the end of austerity has cut through the Brexit messages Boris Johnson has made his main campaign platform.

The unfolding story of this unpredicatble election will be revealed tonight and tomorrow morning on the Bolton News website and summed up in the Bolton News on Satrrday.