POTHOLES, major planning applications and sandwiches have been some of the hot topics for parties in person and online this election season.

For the past two months, candidates have in all weather been pounding the streets of the 20 wards where seats are up for grabs during today’s elections.

As has become the norm, many candidates have taken to social media to showcase their campaign and to voice what they believe are the main issues in the borough.

Whether it be pictures of candidates canvassing the areas they are up for election in, or in the case of the Basingstoke Liberal Democrats, launching a web app to report potholes across the borough, every candidate has done something to get the attention of voters.

One talking point this week came via Twitter and something which Gazette staff have coined as Sandwich-Gate.

On Monday, 30 April a Tweet posted from the @BstokeLabCllrs account claimed that the current administration in charge of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council is spending £52,000 on sandwiches per year.

This then sparked a mass debate on both Twitter and Facebook with the @BstokeLabCllrs account tweeting: “If you want a council to spend your money on your priorities & not sandwiches then vote for your local Labour Councillor this Thursday.”

Following this the @BSKconservative account retaliated, posting a picture of Council Chamber with the Labour side vacant after the group boycotted the last full council meeting stating: “If you want councillors who represent you, #VoteConservative on Thursday. At the last full council meeting, Labour councillors failed to attend. Empty seats can’t speak for you, but Conservatives will.”

The Liberal Democrats waded in on Facebook also, claiming the Labour group were partaking in the pre-meeting buffet.

The borough council confirmed that between October 2016 and October 2017 it was budgeted for £51,900 to be set aside for refreshments, but of this £36,400, was spent of councillor's refreshments, with the rest of the funds being allocated for mayoral events, training days and other events within the council.

Other campaigning points have been proposed service stations on the M3 at Basingstoke, affordable housing, and transport to cope with major developments such as Manydown.