Voters are set to decide which political party will run South Gloucestershire Council for the next four years in an upcoming local election. The results will affect a huge range of issues in South Gloucestershire, including new housing developments, bin collections and bus services.
All seats are up for grabs across the 28 wards in the district in the upcoming election on Thursday, May 4, where the Conservatives are fighting to keep control to run the council. Local elections are also being held on the same day in many other parts of England.
The Conservatives have been in power for 16 years in South Gloucestershire and are defending a slender majority of just two seats. On a national level the party has recently suffered a huge drop in opinion polls, which could affect how voters decide which party they choose.
Read more: Council leader to step down in May after local elections
The current Conservative council leader, Toby Savage, is not standing for re-election due to the recent birth of his second child, which he described last month as a "promotion to dad-of-two”. It’s not yet known whom the Conservatives will choose to replace him as leader of their group, and who would lead the council if the Tories win again.
There are a few key dates which voters need to know. The deadline to register to vote has already passed and was on Monday, April 17. If you can’t get to a polling station, then the application deadline to vote by post is 5pm on Tuesday, April 18, and the deadline to vote by proxy is 5pm on Tuesday, April 25. Polling stations are open from 7am to 10pm.
This is the first time voters will need to bring formal identification — such as a driver’s licence or passport — with them to polling stations, after a new law was recently passed. Voters without accepted forms of ID will be turned away from polling stations and might not be allowed to vote.
However, people without accepted forms of ID can apply to get a free Voter Authority Certificate, which will allow them to cast their ballot at polling stations. The deadline to apply for this free photo ID is Tuesday, April 25.
The Conservatives have run South Gloucestershire Council since 2007 and they currently have 33 seats out of a total of 61. Meanwhile, Liberal Democrats have 17 seats and Labour has 11. A party needs to win at least 31 seats to get an overall majority and take control of the council. If no party wins a majority, called ‘no overall control’, then one party could form a minority administration or two parties could form a coalition to take power after May.
Both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are standing candidates in all 61 seats. Labour is putting up 43 candidates, while the Greens are standing 16. There are six independent candidates, two from Reform UK, and one from the National Housing Party No More Refugees. The council has now published a list of all candidates who are standing, broken down by each ward in the district.
Bitton and Oldland Common (two seats)
Kenton James Boon, Liberal Democrat
Sarah Jane Freeman, Green
Peter Hallett, Green
Paul Robert Hughes, Conservative
Darren Paul Langley, Labour
Stanley Raymond Perry, Liberal Democrat
Erica Lesley Williams, Conservative
Boyd Valley (two seats)
Andy Banwell, Reform UK
Marilyn Clare Palmer, Liberal Democrat
Steve Reade, Conservative
Ben Stokes, Conservative
Neil Simon Willmott, Liberal Democrat
Bradley Stoke North (two seats)
Drew Clayton, Liberal Democrat
Thomas Kenneth Crawley, Reform UK
Terri Cullen, Conservative
Nigel Goldsmith, Labour
James William Nelson, Green
Franklin Owusu-Antwi, Conservative
Sarah Lynn Pomfret, independent
Ges Rosenberg, Labour
Wendy Una Tomasin, Liberal Democrat
Bradley Stoke South (two seats)
Roger Avenin, Conservative
John Philip Bradbury, Labour
Alan Dallas Moller, Liberal Democrat
Ben Randles, Conservative
Guy William Rawlinson, Liberal Democrat
Kulwinder Singh Sappal, Labour and Co-operative
Charfield (one seat)
Michaela Sydney Crumpton, Conservative
John O’Neill, Liberal Democrat
Pete Watts, Green
Charlton and Cribbs (three seats)
Jo Buddharaju, Conservative
John Paul Ford, Liberal Democrat
Dave Hockey, Liberal Democrat
Brian Hopkinson, Conservative
Pete Knight, independent
Roger Leonard Loveridge, independent
Ravi Kumar Ravi, Labour
Sam William Scott, Labour
Sanjay Kumar Shambhu, Conservative
Matthew Stringer, Liberal Democrat
Viljo George Rafiq Wilding, Labour
Chipping Sodbury and Cotswold Edge (two seats)
Roisin Hall, Conservative
Ian Gordon Lowe, Labour
Becky Romaine, Conservative
Adrian Samuel Rush, Liberal Democrat
Patricia Anne Trull, Liberal Democrat
Dodington (two seats)
Louise Anne Harris, Liberal Democrat
Cheryl Anne Kirby, Liberal Democrat
Callum Leat, National Housing Party No More Refugees
Jo Nicholson, Conservative
Rachel Elizabeth Welch, Conservative
Emersons Green (three seats)
Katrina Ann Al-Hassan, Labour
Sadik Adam Al-Hassan, Labour
Ron Hardie, Labour
Sian Catherine Harris, Green
Colin John Hunt, Conservative
Rachael Anne Hunt, Conservative
Alka Mehta-Graham, Conservative
Gabriela Miron, Liberal Democrat
Laurence Bruce Walker, Liberal Democrat
Susan Jane Walker, Liberal Democrat
Filton (two seats)
Esther Adjeivi, Conservative
Dan Boardman, Green
Frederic Contenot, Conservative
Alex Doyle, Labour
Richard William Emmerson, Liberal Democrat
Martin Braid Joinson, Liberal Democrat
Adam Paul Monk, Labour
Andy Robinson, independent
Jenny Vernon, Green
Frampton Cotterell (three seats)
Tristan Adam Sutton Clark, Liberal Democrat
Carolina Echegaray, Green
Tom Howell, Conservative
Jon Lean, Liberal Democrat
Roger Edward Millard, Labour
Tim Niblett, Conservative
Andy Pullen, Conservative
Jonathan Terence Trollope, Labour
Claire Louise Young, Liberal Democrat
Frenchay and Downend (three seats)
Liz Brennan, Conservative
Benjamin Paul Burton, Conservative
Jacky Dockerty, Labour
David Geoffrey Richard Eldridge, Liberal Democrat
James Griffiths, Conservative
Mike Richards, Labour
Andrew Mark Smith, Labour
Raj Kumar Sood, Liberal Democrat
John Michael Tansey, Liberal Democrat
Hanham (three seats)
Kelly Allen, Green
June Patricia Bamford, Conservative
April Begley, Labour
John Gawn, Liberal Democrat
William Huddy, Green
Daniel James Johnston, Green
Brenda Barbara Langley, Conservative
Margaret Ann Marshall, Liberal Democrat
Michael Newman, Labour
Matt Pitts, Conservative
Patrick John Eagar Thoyts, Liberal Democrat
Kingswood (two seats)
Ken Dando, Conservative
Susan Jennifer Hope, Liberal Democrat
Leigh Ingham, Labour
Jayashri Krishnesh Chandar, Conservative
Mark Richard Poarch, Liberal Democrat
Sean Brian Rhodes, Labour
Longwell Green (two seats)
Crispin Allard, Liberal Democrat
Edward Roger Allinson, Liberal Democrat
Kristopher David Murphy, Conservative
Christine Price, independent
Carol Ann Strange, Conservative
New Cheltenham (two seats)
Ian Phillip Adams, Conservative
Ruth Brenda Davis, Liberal Democrat
Sandie Davis, Labour
Matt Palmer, Labour
Richard Clive Parkinson, Liberal Democrat
Gagan Singh, Conservative
Parkwall and Warmley (two seats)
Elizabeth Bromiley, Conservative
Sam Bromiley, Conservative
Martin Philip Farmer, Labour
Philippa Emily Marsden, Liberal Democrat
Hossein Pirooz, Liberal Democrat
Kenneth David Rabone, Labour
Patchway Coniston (one seat)
Simon James Jones, Conservative
Dayley Patrick Gerald Lawrence, Labour and Co-operative
Matthew David Pash, Green
Isobel Miriam Walker, independent
Joanna Wallis, Liberal Democrat
Pilning and Severn Beach (one seat)
Simon Martyn Begbey, Conservative
Simon David Johnson, Liberal Democrat
Andy Segal, Labour
Severn Vale (two seats)
Keith John Burchell, Conservative
Naomi Charlotte Carroll, Labour
Abigail Brook Curtis, Labour
Mark Oaten, Liberal Democrat
Matthew Robert Riddle, Conservative
Tony Williams, Liberal Democrat
Staple Hill and Mangotsfield (three seats)
Brenda Mary Osyth Allen, Liberal Democrat
Michael Richard Bell, Labour
Ian Michael Boulton, Labour
Katie Morrison Cooper, Labour
Andrew Bruce Daer, Liberal Democrat
Gabrielle Marie Davis, Liberal Democrat
Anil Mishra, Conservative
Andy O’Hara, Conservative
Andrew David Shore, Conservative
Stoke Gifford (three seats)
David Michael Addison, Labour
Keith Edward James Cranney, Conservative
Neel Das Gupta, Conservative
Tony Griffiths, Conservative
Daniel James Harris, Labour
Brian Peter Mead, Labour
Kimberley Lauren Stansfield, Liberal Democrat
Karl Dominic Tomasin, Liberal Democrat
Jon Williams, Liberal Democrat
Stoke Park and Cheswick (one seat)
Ryan Coyle-Larner, Labour
Ayrden James Pocock, Liberal Democrat
Prasanna Ramarathnam, Conservative
Thornbury (three seats)
Janet Selina Deirdre Buxton, Conservative
John Dudley Buxton, Conservative
Chris Davies, Liberal Democrat
Jen Gash, Green
Olivia Owusu-Antwi, Conservative
Jayne Stansfield, Liberal Democrat
Maggie Tyrrell, Liberal Democrat
Alasdair Ian Weeks, Labour
Winterbourne (two seats)
Peter Anthony Bruce, Liberal Democrat
David Paul Goodwin, Liberal Democrat
Trevor John Jones, Conservative
Nic Labuschagne, Conservative
Alan William Lankester, Green
John Yeadon Lloyd, Labour
Beth Charis McKinlay, Labour
David Mark Vernon, Green
Woodstock (two seats)
Jim Corrigan, Liberal Democrat
Tony Davis, Liberal Democrat
Alison Evans, Labour
Jack Michael Groenewald, Conservative
Ian Keith Mark Scott, Labour
Kamni Shambhu, Conservative
Yate Central (two seats)
John Anthony Davis, Liberal Democrat
Sandra Elizabeth Emms, Liberal Democrat
Marian Joy Gilpin, Conservative
Christopher Thomas Jackson, Green
Joanne Louise Lewis, Conservative
Yate North (three seats)
Mike Drew, Liberal Democrat
Matt Lewis, Conservative
Ben Nutland, Liberal Democrat
David Penry Williams, Conservative
Sonia Williams, Conservative
Chris Willmore, Liberal Democrat
