ELECTORS in Reading can make their vote count today - while knowing their X is worth more than across swathes of the country.

The economy has been the biggest issue of this election so that is the topic for our candidates in this week's Big Debate - what would they do about unemployment, is the recession definitely over, and will they raise our taxes to plug the deficit?

The Voter Power Index project found that each vote in Reading East is worth three times more than the national average because it is such a tightly-fought marginal and each vote in Reading West is worth 1.09 votes.

The Tory candidates are favoured in both seats - and in every Berkshire seat except Slough - but Labour have not given up, the Lib Dems have been campaigning strongly and got a boost from the leaders' debates and the smaller parties and independent candidates have all got their voices heard, not least through The Chronicle's Big Debate series every week.

Aside from these big issues - health, education, crime and the economy - each party has been getting its national priorities across in The Chronicle, through letters and leaflets and on the doorstep. Election issues have also included the future of Reading Station, bus services, neighbourhood policing, small businesses, the Bath Road Reservoir, Afghanistan, library refurbishments, immigration, the Olympic Games, ID cards, post offices, knife crime, Heathrow's third runway, Reading borough's children's centres and alleyway gating.

The boost in Lib Dem support has prompted bookmakers to slash the odds on Gareth Epps taking Reading East from nearly 40/1 to just 4/1 on average, but incumbent Conservative Rob Wilson is still the clear favourite to retain the seat. Labour's Anneliese Dodds' odds range from 8/1 to 16/1 with the major bookies.

In Reading West Labour is in a better position with Naz Sarkar at 2/1, but Tory Alok Sharma is the favourite.

Lib Dem Daisy Benson has also seen odds cut but the race is clearly volatile; her odds range from just 25/1 at online gambling website, bet365.com, to 7/1 with Ladbrokes.

Independent Reading-based bookies Taylor's is only taking bets on the overall Parliamentary result, with No Overall Majority at 4/6 and a Tory majority at 6/5.