Wakefield Council election candidates revealed: Find out who's standing in your area

A total of 21 seats on Wakefield Council are up for grabs on Thursday, May 2, and your vote in these polls is your chance to have a say in how local affairs are run.

All but two of those seats are being contested by serving councillors, with Monica Graham (Wakefield South) and Margaret Holwell (Horbury and South Ossett) the exceptions.

Coun Graham is standing down after 15 years as an elected member, while Coun Holwell is giving up her marginal seat to challenge Labour Cabinet member Margaret Isherwood in Wakefield North.

The two main parties are competing in every seat, while the Liberal Democrats are standing in 14 wards.

The Yorkshire Party has put forward eight candidates, including its new deputy leader, Laura Walker, in Altofts and Whitwood.

The Green Party is fielding six candidates and UKIP seven, while the Democrats and Veterans Party and Socialist Alternative are contesting one ward each.

There are six independent candidates also standing across the 21 wards.

Some familiar names are back on the ballot paper, including former Wakefield mayor Kevin Barker, who lost his seat at last year's elections.

He's challenging the Conservative group's deputy leader, Ian Sanders, in his old Wakefield Rural constituency, while UKIP's David Dews, who lost his Wrenthorpe and Outwood seat last year, is standing there again.

Mathematically, the ruling Labour group cannot lose its majority at this election, as even if it lost all 17 of their seats being contested this time around to the Conservative opposition, it would still occupy more seats than any other party.

There is still time to register to vote in the election. Residents have until midnight on Friday, April 12 to do so here.

A full list of candidates listed by ward and in alphabetical order is below.

ACKWORTH, NORTH ELMSALL AND UPTON - WARD 1

Jessica Carrington - Labour

Phil Davies - Conservatives

Nick Gray - Liberal Democrats

John Hardman - Independent candidate

Gwen Marshall - Independent candidate

Martin Roberts - Yorkshire Party

AIREDALE AND FERRY FRYSTON - WARD 2

Yvonne Crewe - Labour

Alex Kear - Independent candidate

Eamonn Mullins - Conservatives

ALTOFTS AND WHITWOOD - WARD 3

Jo Hepworth - Labour

Anthony Hill - Conservatives

Malcolm Pollack - Liberal Democrats

John Thomas - Democrats and Veterans Party

Laura Walker - Yorkshire Party

CASTLEFORD CENTRAL AND GLASSHOUGHTON - WARD 4

Lawrence Burrows - UKIP

Paul Phelps - Yorkshire Party

Joanne Smart - Conservative

Tony Wallis - Labour

CROFTON, RYHILL AND WALTON - WARD 5

Adam Belcher - Liberal Democrats

Maureen Cummings - Labour

James Hardwick - Conservatives

FEATHERSTONE - WARD 6

Graham Isherwood - Labour

Rodney Williams - Conservatives

HEMSWORTH - WARD 7

Nathaniel Harvey - Conservatives

Glyn Lloyd - Labour

Lyn Morton - Green Party

Ian Womersley - Independent candidate

HORBURY AND SOUTH OSSETT - WARD 8

Simon Fishwick - Conservatives

Mark Goodair - Liberal Democrats

Mark Harrop - Independent candidate

Melanie Jones - Labour

Richard Norris - Green Party

KNOTTINGLEY - WARD 9

Glenn Burton - Labour

Thomas Gordon - Liberal Democrat

Josh Spencer - Conservatives

Willow Tolley - Green Party

NORMANTON - WARD 10

David Dagger - Labour

Cliff Parsons - UKIP

Luke Thomas - Conservatives

OSSETT - WARD 11

Tony Sargeant - Liberal Democrats

Stephen Scott - Green Party

Duncan Smith - Labour

Angela Taylor - Conservatives

PONTEFRACT NORTH - WARD 12

Steven Crookes - Yorkshire Party

Patricia Garbutt - Labour

Christopher Hyomes - Conservatives

PONTEFRACT SOUTH - WARD 13

Tony Hames - Conservatives

David Jones - Labour

Salli Martlew - Liberal Democrats

SOUTH ELMSALL AND SOUTH KIRKBY - WARD 14

Michael Keeton - Liberal Democrats

Pepe Ruzvidzo - Conservatives

Stephen Tulley - Labour

STANLEY AND OUTWOOD - WARD 15

Jack Hemingway - Labour

James Johnston - UKIP

Gillian Laidler - Conservatives

Joan MacQueen - Liberal Democrats

WAKEFIELD EAST - WARD 16

Terence Emmingham - Green Party

Mick Griffiths - Socialist Alternative

Stuart Heptinstall - Labour

Dianne Presha - Conservatives

Stuart Rick - Yorkshire Party

Colin Thornton - UKIP

WAKEFIELD NORTH - WARD 17

Arnie Craven - Yorkshire Party

Natasha de Vere - Liberal Democrats

Margaret Holwell - Conservatives

Margaret Isherwood - Labour

Keith Wells - UKIP

WAKEFIELD RURAL - WARD 18

Kevin Barker - Labour

Catherine Budgen - Liberal Democrats

Sarah Greenwood - Green Party

Ian Sanders - Conservatives

WAKEFIELD SOUTH - WARD 19

Daniel Cochran - Yorkshire Party

David Currie - Liberal Democrats

Norman Hazell - Independent candidate

Karl Johnson - Conservatives

Pete Rosser - Labour

WAKEFIELD WEST - WARD 20

Tony Ayoade - Conservatives

John Clayton - Liberal Democrats

Michael Graham - Labour

Josie Thornton - UKIP

WRENTHORPE AND OUTWOOD WEST - WARD 21

Esther Amis-Hughes - Liberal Democrats

David Dews - UKIP

Henry Drabble - Conservatives

Brent Hawksley - Yorkshire Party

Charlie Keith - Labour

Local Democracy Reporting Service