Local elections 2021: Names of candidates standing for Wakefield Council seats released

Voters will go to the polls on May 6 to have their say in an election that was postponed from last year because of the Covid pandemic.

The results will affect the political makeup of Wakefield Council, with 22 of the authority's 63 seats up for grabs.

One seat is being contested in each of the 21 wards covering the whole district, except for in Airedale and Ferry Fryston, where voters will be asked to select two candidates.

Of the 22 seats, 17 are currently held by Labour, two are held by the Conservatives and three are vacant.

Labour, the Tories and the Green Party have put up candidates to contest every single seat.

The Yorkshire Party are fielding 10 candidates, while the Lib Dems are represented on the ballot paper in seven wards.

A further 24 people are standing as independent candidates or for other parties.

If you haven't yet registered to vote, you can still do so at any point until April 19 to have a say in this election https://www.gov.uk/register-to-voteAll candidates, listed in alphabetical order, are below.

Ackworth, North Elmsall and Upton - Ward 1

Stan Bates - Labour

Christopher Dawson - Yorkshire Party

Jody Gabriel - Green Party

Christopher Howden - Liberal Democrats

Gwen Marshall - Independent

Raymond Massey - Conservative

Airedale and Ferry Fryston - Ward 2 (two candidates to be elected)

Richard Evans - Conservative

Jackie Ferguson - Labour

John Ingham - Green Party

Ian Kennedy - Independent

Neil Kennedy - Independent

Eamonn Mullins - Conservative

Daniel Russell - Green Party

Les Shaw - Labour

Altofts and Whitwood - Ward 3

Brenden Beckett - Green Party

Zane Carpenter - Workers Party of Britain

Josie Farrar - Labour

Anthony Hill - Conservative

John Thomas - Reform UK

Castleford Central and Glasshoughton - Ward 4

Richard Forster - Labour

Alan Horne - Green Party

Paul Phelps - Yorkshire Party

Joanne Smart - Conservative

Crofton, Ryhill and Walton - Ward 5

Cynthia Dickinson - Green Party

Faith Heptinstall - Labour

Paul Stockhill - Conservative

Featherstone - Ward 6

James Craven - Yorkshire Party

Nigel Ebbs - Liberal Democrats

Ruth Love - Green Party

Ayrton Pointon - Conservative

Maureen Tennant-King - Labour

Hemsworth - Ward 7

Waj Ali - Reform UK

Jim Kenyon - Independent

Pauline Kitching - Labour

Lyn Morton - Green Party

David Pointon - Conservative

Horbury and South Ossett - Ward 8

Jonathan Allum - Conservative

Darren Byford - Labour

Mark Goodair - Liberal Democrats

Ricard Hargreaves - Green Party

Knottingley - Ward 9

Kerron Cross - Labour

Adele Hayes - Liberal Democrats

Garry Newby - Green Party

Hilary Plumbley - Conservative

Normanton - Ward 10

Gillian Dewey-Nager - Green Party

Susan Hayes - Liberal Democrats

Keith Hudson - Conservative Party

Julie Medford - Labour

Cliff Parsons - Alliance for Democracy and Freedom Wakefield

Marcus Whalley-Reid - Workers Party of Britain

Ossett - Ward 11

Tony Homewood - Conservative

Lynn Masterman - Labour

Malcolm Pollack - Liberal Democrats

Stephen Scott - Green Party

Pontefract North - Ward 12

Christopher Hyomes - Conservative

Ryan Kett - Yorkshire Party

Lorna Malkin - Labour

Emma Tingle - Green Party

Pontefract South - Ward 13

Katherine Dodd - Green Party

Tony Hames - Conservative

Melanie Jones - Labour

Trevor Peasant - Yorkshire Party

South Elmsall and South Kirkby - Ward 14

Michelle Collins - Labour

Stefan Ludewig - Green Party

Sarah Mansfield - Yorkshire Party

Chad Thomas - Conservative

Stanley and Outwood East - Ward 15

Richard Copeland - Green Party

Margaret Dodd - Liberal Democrats

Stephanie Fishwick - Conservative

Brent Hawksley - Yorkshire Party

Matthew Morley - Labour

Wakefield East - Ward 16

Akef Akbar - Conservative

Helen Antcliff - Labour

Mick Griffiths - Trade Union and Socialist Coalition

Janet Mackintosh - Green Party

Wakefield North - Ward 17

Lewis Elliott - Green Party

Naeem Formuli - Conservative

Andy Mack - Yorkshire Party

Rebecca Murphy - Independent

Elizabeth Rhodes - Labour

Keith Wells - UKIP

Wakefield Rural - Ward 18

Cynthia Binns - Conservative

Charlotte Myles - Green Party

Paul Wood - Labour

Wakefield South - Ward 19

Paul Belbin - Labour

Daniel Cochran - Yorkshire Party

Krys Holmes - Green Party

Richard Hunt - Conservative

Wakefield West - Ward 20

Hilary Mitchell - Labour

Karen Sadler - Green Party

Josie Thornton - For Britain Movement

Laura Weldon - Conservative

Wrenthorpe and Outwood West - Ward 21

Richard Bentley - Yorkshire Party

David Dews - UKIP

Annemarie Glover - Conservative

Martyn Johnson - Labour

Oliver Thompson - Green Party

Local Democracy Reporting Service