Polls are funny critters. They both shape and change narratives often with very little basis. We all know our stock lines to any poll showing us further ahead than expected (No complacency) or further behind (The only poll that matters is on election day). We can repeat the words ‘It’s the trend that matters’ until we are purple in the face. But we are all living and dying by them daily – despite knowing how volatile, changeable and ultimately pointless they are. At any given point in this short campaign I could point to a recent poll (say, one of the last five released) to prove that Labour have momentum, Labour are falling behind, there is a dead heat.

Taking the polling out of the equation, and where are we? Well, we seem to be in a pretty good place. (I know, I know – I will immediately go outside, turn around three times and spit!) As I go out and work on the doorstep with activists there is a sense of upbeat cheerfulness. The sun has started to shine and there is a sense that we can really get into government, really make the changes to the country we want to see.

The Tories seem determined to do their very best to live up to their worst stereotypes. They seem unedifying and incapable of answering even fairly basic – but tough – questions. Over the weekend it was George Osborne on their sudden commitment to NHS spending, yesterday Matt Hancock could not tell us where the £12bn extra welfare cuts will fall and today Theresa May cannot defend the new – dreadful – right to buy policy.

The Tories are in a panic, it is clear. This is why they are suddenly throwing money at voters whether it is good policy (and extra childcare hours is good policy) or dreadful policy (and massively exacerbating the housing crisis by removing many more socially rented homes and bribing a small portion of the electorate is possibly the worst policy I can think of).

In terms of the ground war, this continues to be a tale of two countries – Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom. Polls would suggest Labour is set to lose lots of seats in Scotland that were previously considered ‘safe’. Perhaps particularly those previously considered ‘safe’ where swings to the Scottish National party are bigger than in the marginals. Our ground war – even after the hard-fought referendum campaign – leaves Scottish voters much less likely to be contacted than English voters and the SNP ahead of us on contact rates  according to Michael Ashcroft’s polling.

In England – and especially in our target seats, the picture is very different, with Labour’s ground game leading the way – and making real inroads into Tory held seats. It has become an electoral cliché, but it is increasingly clear not just that it is our members who make the difference against Tory money, but that it is missing members who may make the difference where we need a strong defence.

The Tories have been talking about ‘crossover week’ for months now. But those pesky polls so far refuse to settle. The big attention-grabbing policies in their manifesto may be their last chance to make it happen. This next week it will be all to play for and Labour will need strong rebuttal and attack lines as well as showing how its own policy platform has more to offer more people.

In two words: GAME ON.

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Emma Burnell is a political blogger and campaigner. She tweets @EmmaBurnell_