Prime Minister David Cameron is at Christleton High School this lunchtime as the party leaders target the City of Chester constituency as a key marginal in the election battle.

Mr Cameron, who will be accompanied by city Tory MP Stephen Mosley, recently announced that Christleton High is to open a controversial type of new free school called a Studio School that will be sponsored by Bank of America Merill Lynch who employ 3,000 people at MBNA on Chester Business Park.

The prime minister will no doubt wish to discuss the plans with headteacher Tony Lamberton and governors at the academy. But critics fear free schools undermine the existing education system by taking money and pupils away from existing schools, in addition to concerns about big business influencing the curriculum.

Christleton High was graded outstanding by Ofsted in November 2014, a complete turnaround from a previous inspection in 2007 when it was made subject to special measures to improve standards.

During his trip to the region, Mr Cameron is also visiting Sandymoor School, another free school, down the road in Runcorn as well as Crewe Railway Station where he will talk to Crewe and Nantwich Tory MP Edward Timpson about major expansion plans in connection with the HS2 high speed rail vision.

Cheshire West and Chester Council wants to see conditions impose on the proposed HS2 scheme to protect affected communities in the area
Cheshire West and Chester Council wants to see conditions impose on the proposed HS2 scheme to protect affected communities in the area

Mr Cameron’s trip to Chester follows in the wake of a visit by Labour leader Ed Miliband at the weekend. He was in the city to back his parliamentary candidate Chris Matheson who will attempt to wrench the seat from Mr Mosley whose slender 2,583 majority is vulnerable. Mr Miliband was mobbed by a hen party on his visit to the city caught on camera by The Chronicle which has gone viral on the internet.

The Conservatives are proud of their economic record nationally and here in Chester which will no doubt feature as a theme during today’s high profile visit ahead of the May 7 general and local elections.

Mr Mosley, who hosted Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond at the Urenco nuclear enrichment plant in Capenhurst on Friday, told The Chronicle: “You only have to go round the city centre and you can see the theatre being built, the library and the cinema there, rising from the ashes of the old Gateway. You can see the restaurant quarter that’s going to be opening in a few months’ time.

Philip Hammond, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, toured the Urenco nuclear site at Capenhurst on Friday accompanied by Chester's sitting Conservative MP Stephen Mosley

“You can see the investment in the walls which is only happening because of the Conservatives. There’s a good feel about the city. Unemployment has dropped like a stone.”