This year’s South Holland District Council election is shaping up to be one of the most keenly-contested.
The Conservatives – who currently hold 25 of the 37 seats – are contesting all 18 wards as they seek another term as the ruling group.
However, the Labour Party – who put up just one candidate at the last election in May 2011 – is launching a determined challenge.
A spokesman said: “We are hoping to contest all of [the wards], to give voters the choice they deserve.”
And UKIP has 13 wards covered with candidates so far.
Paul Foyster, chairman of South Holland and The Deepings branch, said: “We continue to examine additional applicants and to actively seek new ones.”
The Independents – the current opposition – are finalising their candidates and are expected to feature strongly again.
The Liberal Democrats, The Green Party and BNP all put up candidates in 2011.
The Conservatives revealed their candidates this week.
They are putting up ten new faces, plus Jack Tyrrell and Harry Drury, who were beaten last time out.
The list includes Michael Pullen – who lost out in 2011 as an Independent candidate in Whaplode and Holbeach St Johns – and is back to contest the two-seat ward with the Tories.
As previously reported, deputy leader Coun Paul Przyszlak (Crowland and Deeping St Nicholas) and Whaplode member Coun Bob Creese will not be seeking re-election.
And neither will cabinet member Coun Howard Johnson, who polled more votes than council leader Gary Porter in Spalding St Mary’s ward in 2011. Mr Drury will be hoping to win one of the two seats.
Another Tory not standing again is Spalding St Paul’s member Andrew Miller.
Richard Carey, deputy chairman (political) of South Holland and The Deepings Conservatives said: “I am delighted that Spalding Voice is taking an early interest in covering the local elections here – it can only be good for democracy, and will hopefully give candidates of all parties more contact with local media to have a wide discussion of all the issues that arise in the election campaign.”
Meanwhile, one Independent member definitely not seeking re-election is Coun Simon Booth (Long Sutton), who has too many commitments with the family farm business to continue.
He said: “I realise that this last year my attendance hasn’t been as good as it should have been.
“I hope to come back into it one day when I’m not so busy.”
Coun Booth has been a district councillor for 12 years. Independent group leader Coun Angela Newton said he was doing the “honourable” thing by not seeking re-election when he could not commit to the necessary time.
She said: “Far better that than what Bob Creese and Amanda Puttick have done, continuing to take their allowances while having poor attendance.
“They have been wheeled out by [council leader] Gary Porter once every six months to keep within the law.”
She added: “I shall miss Coun Booth because he has been a really good ward member.”
CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATES (* denotes current member)
Crowland and Deeping St Nicholas
Angela Harrison*
Jennie Head
Donington, Quadring and Gosberton
Robert Clark*
Roger Neal
Fleet
Peter Coupland*
Gedney
Joanne Reynolds
Holbeach Hurn
Nick Worth*
Holbeach Town
Francis Biggadike*
Tracey Carter
Rita Rudkin*
Long Sutton
Jack Tyrrell
Laura Eldridge
Moulton, Weston
and Cowbit
Anthony Casson*
Rodney Grocock*
Andrew Woolf*
Pinchbeck and Surfleet
James Avery*
Sally-Ann Slade*
Elizabeth Sneath*
Spalding Castle
Gary Taylor*
Spalding St Mary’s
Gary Porter*
Harry Drury
Spalding Monkshouse
George Aley*
Spalding St John’s
Jack McLean
Spalding St Paul’s
David Ashby*
Glynis Scalese
Spalding Wygate
Roger Gambba-Jones*
Christine Lawton*
Sutton Bridge
Vicky Hills
Shirley Giles
The Saints
Michael Seymour*
Whaplode and Holbeach St Johns
Malcolm Chandler*
Michael Pullen
