Election latest: Farage on defensive after supporters caught on camera making racist,

By Megan Harwood-Baynes, digital investigations reporter

Reform and Labour have bought up advertising on two major national news sites in a bid to sway voters in the remaining days before the general election.

When looking at MailOnline, Nigel Farage’s stern face beams down from both the main banner and the left of the site.

Their manifesto – which have they been calling their “contract” with the public – is pasted down the side of the news website.

Meanwhile, Labour, perhaps in a bid to emulate 1992’s “It’s the Sun Wot Won It” front page, have pasted their advertising all over The Sun online.

With a countdown to 4 July, they also bemoan “14 years of Tory chaos”.

Crucially, neither of these papers have openly endorsed a candidate, although a regular reader may be forgiven for not noticing this nuance.

In 1992, The Sun claimed credit for the victory of the Conservative Party, after openly campaigning to drive voters away from the then-Labour leader Neil Kinnock.

It is regularly cited as demonstrative of the influence the tabloid press could have over politicians and elections.

So far, the Daily Telegraph has come out in support of the Tories, while the Guardian, Daily Mirror, Economist, New Statesman and Daily Record have all backed the Labour Party.

The Times, The Sun and the Daily Mail have not endorsed anyone, and the Daily Star has taken the unusual (but perhaps unsurprising) approach of supporting Count Binface, labelling him the “most sane politician in the UK”.

And while the Mirror has already backed Labour, and despite – at first glance – appearing to be plastered with advertising for the party, the red banners promising “change” are actually for coffee brand Nespresso.

Sky News has been looking at the advertising as part of the Online Election project – a Sky News initiative to cover how the campaign is playing out online, led by Tom Cheshire, Online Campaign correspondent.

We also found one party has been dominating social media – but it’s not the one spending the most.

Reform UK has been dominating, with its page growing by more than 32,000 followers over the course of the campaign. 

Meanwhile, the Tories have only seen 596 new followers.

Sixteen of the top 20 most-loved posts were also from Mr Farage.

And for some Tories, the only brand has been seen as so bad, that some have ditched it altogether.