As the general election gets closer, you can trust us

It’s easy to be cynical in the run-up to a general election when senior members of the major political parties suddenly want to come to Portsmouth. The presence of senior politicians around these parts demonstrates that they expect Portsmouth to be a key battleground.

Secretary of state for transport Chris Grayling was the latest to pop up in these parts, ostensibly to see the new interchange at The Hard. But naturally he also found the time to level a few barbs at the Labour party. And if he is the last bigwig to pay us a visit, it would be a surprise.

With just under a month ago until polling day on June 8, this election campaign, despite its comparatively short run-in, is already proving to be a nasty one.

Mud is being flung from all sides and it can be hard to keep up with what, if anything, of substance is being said.

As we approach June 8, The News will continue to try and cut through the noise to tell its readers what they need to know about the local issues as well as the broader, national ones.

Last week The News took part in the nationwide trusted news campaign, in which local and regional news outlets joined up in the fight against fake news.

Fake news is not news that you just don’t agree with – although that is what many shout, particularly in online echo chambers – it is stories designed to confuse and deceive.

Despite what some readers may believe, The News owes no political party any allegiance, and we shall continue to report on what we see in this campaign without fear or favour.

Whatever we wake up to on June 9, you can rest assured that we will have been there every step of the way.