THESE are the people who are preparing to fight for the right to represent you on Bolton Council.

The council elections will take place on Thursday May 5 and will see a third of the authority’s seats up for grabs.

Candidates will face off in all twenty wards in a vote that could have major implications for the way decisions are made right across the borough.

The controlling Labour group will be hoping to retain its dominance of the council — and will be defending 14 of its 39 seats.

The Conservatives will be aiming to chip away at the Labour stronghold as well as defending five of their own seats.

In the local elections in 2014, UKIP arrived on the Bolton political scene and the party will be aiming to add to its three seats at this year’s vote.

Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Roger Hayes will hope to keep his own Smithills seat and see if his party can continue to rebuild by picking up some more seats.

The Green party is also standing candidates in the majority of wards.

Eric Hyland is the only independent candidate, standing in Bradshaw.

Labour leader Cllr Cliff Morris, who is himself up for election in Halliwell, said: “We have delivered on our promises and I think we have been forward looking as a party.

“Things are coming together in Bolton and there is plenty in the pipeline but there is still lots to be done.”

Tory leader, Cllr David Greenhalgh said: “With the Conservatives you will get better roads and pavements and a cleaner Bolton with more money spent tackling fly-tipping and litter.

“You will pay less in council tax and get more of a return on what you pay because we will be happy to use the council’s reserves rather than going back to the residents of this town.”

Lib Dem chief Roger Hayes who is up for re-election in Smithills said: “We are looking at tackling the terrible state of our roads and continuing to protect the Green Belt and the heritage of Bolton.

UKIP leader Cllr Sean Hornby said: “UKIP believes that the present formulas used for distributing money across the Borough is out of date would ask that we address this problem and get a fairer way of distributing council budgets across the wider community.

“Bolton is looking tired it needs a change of direction it needs new blood in the town hall.”

Green party leader Alan Johnson said: “The Green Party is united on the policies that we are putting before the electorate and we have put tackling climate change at the top of that list.”

*Underline indicates a councillor seeking re-election

Astley Bridge

Benjamin Deed Green Party

Hilary Fairclough The Conservative Party

Warren Fox Liberal Democrats

Kevin Morris Labour Party

John Toone UK Independence Party (UKIP)

Bradshaw

Daniel Bolton Green Party

Eric Hyland Independent

Jacqueline Radcliffe The Conservative Party

Anthony Shepherd Labour Party

Stephen Thomas UK Independence Party (UKIP)

Garry Veevers Liberal Democrats

Breightmet

Stephen Howarth Liberal Democrats

Harry Lamb UK Independence Party (UKIP)

Sandra MacNeill The Conservative Party

Deborah Newall Labour Party

Pamela Spurling Green Party

Bromley Cross

Geoffrey Knowles Labour Party

Elizabeth Spencer Green Party

Ian Varnam UK Independence Party (UKIP)

David Walsh Liberal Democrats

Alan Wilkinson The Conservative Party

Crompton

Hanif Darvesh Labour Party

Paul Eccles UK Independence Party (UKIP)

Nadim Muslim The Conservative Party

Anne Warren Liberal Democrats

Farnworth

Glen Atkinson Liberal Democrats

Trevor Bonfield Green Party

Asif Ibrahim Labour Party

Andrew Mabon UK Independence Party (UKIP)

Aidan Meagan The Conservative Party Candidate

Great Lever

David Figgins Green Party

Robert Graham Liberal Democrats

Mohammed Iqbal Labour Party

Edith Sexton UK Independence Party (UKIP)

Mohammed Waqas The Conservative Party Candidate

Halliwell

Sandra Harvey UK Independence Party (UKIP)

Edward Mather The Conservative Party Candidate

Ian McHugh Green Party

Clifford Morris Labour Party

Jonathan New Liberal Democrats

Harper Green

Michelle Broderick Green Party

David Harvey UK Independence Party (UKIP)

Champak Mistry Labour Party

Robert Tyler The Conservative Party

Kevin Walsh Liberal Democrats

Heaton & Lostock

Jonathan Baxendale UK Independence Party (UKIP)

Gerard Carter Labour Party

Laura Diggle Green Party

Rebekah Fairhurst Liberal Democrats

Andrew Morgan Conservative and Unionist Party

Horwich & Blackrod

Douglas Bagnall Liberal Democrats

Keith Cocker Green Party - Stop Fracking Now

Ann Cunliffe Labour Party

Carol Forshaw Conservative and Unionist Party

Derek Snowden UK Independence Party (UKIP)

Horwich North East

Jeffrey Armstrong UK Independence Party (UKIP)

Anne Galloway Conservative and Unionist Party

Roderick Riesco Green Party - Stop Fracking Now

Stephen Rock Liberal Democrats

Richard Silvester Labour and Co-Operative Party

Hulton

Derek Bullock The Conservative Party

David Cooper Liberal Democrats

Joan Johnson UK Independence Party (UKIP)

James Tomkinson Green Party

Darren Whitehead Labour Party

Kearsley

Carol Burrows Labour Party

Mark Cunningham UK Independence Party (UKIP)

Richard Elliott The Conservative Party

Aaron Hepworth Liberal Democrats

Little Lever & Darcy Lever

Edmund Dunsdon Green Party

Elizabeth Elliott The Conservative Party

David Evans Labour Party

Rees Gibbon UK Independence Party (UKIP)

Eric Hyde Liberal Democrats

Rumworth

Christopher Amos Liberal Democrats

Hafiz Butt The Conservative Party

Alan Johnson Green Party

Rosa Kay Labour Party

Kathleen Richardson UK Independence Party (UKIP)

Smithills

John Gillatt Labour and Co-Operative Party

Daniel Haslam Conservative and Unionist Party Candidate

Roger Hayes Liberal Democrats

Roy Marsh UK Independence Party (UKIP)

Richard Middleshaw Green Party - Stop Fracking Now

Tonge with the Haulgh

Martin Donaghy Labour Party

Derek Fisher UK Independence Party (UKIP)

Jennifer Kirk The Conservative Party

Michael Langdon Liberal Democrats

Alexander Parkinson Green Party

Westhoughton North & Chew Moor

George Bown UK Independence Party (UKIP)

Derek Gradwell Liberal Democrats

Anne Graham Labour Party

Isabella Rylance Green Party

Christine Wild Conservative and Unionist Party

Westhoughton South

Martin Tighe UK Independence Party (UKIP)

Anna-Marie Watters Labour Party

David Wilkinson Liberal Democrats

Lynda Winrow-Baker Lynda Conservative and Unionist Party