Local election candidates for Southport 2008

9.52.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 7th Apr 2008

The local elections are on 1st May 2008.

Nominations have closed for the local council elections on May 1st. Barring any last minute withdrawals, there will be 30 candidates for the seven available seats in Southport. As well as full slates for the three main parties, there are 5 candidates for UKIP, 3 for the Southport Party, and 1 BNP. The number of UKIP candidates is up from one last year, whereas the Southport Party is down from the 5 they fielded in 2007.

All 7 of the sitting councillors up for re-election are defending their seats (4 Lib Dem and 3 Con). The hardest fought contest is expected to be in Cambridge Ward, where the Liberal Democrats have gained a seat from the Conservatives in each of the last two elections.

The candidates are listed below in the order that each party came in the ward at the last election (2007). An asterisk* indicates a sitting councillor seeking re-election.

Ainsdale Ward: Brenda Porter* (Con), Pauline Collier (Lib Dem), Frank Warner (Lab), Bryan Leech (UKIP).

Birkdale Ward: Richard Hands* (Lib Dem), Cath Regan (Con), Terry Durrance (UKIP), Frank Robinson (Lab).

Cambridge Ward: Aidan McGuire (Lib Dem), Tom Glover* (Con), Muriel Langley (Lab).

Dukes Ward: David Pearson* (Con), Joan Shavaksha (Lib Dem), Harry Forster (SP), Catherine Cookson (Lab).

Kew Ward: Maureen Fearn* (Lib Dem), Anthony White (Con), John Lee (SP), Steve Jowett (Lab), Val Pollard (UKIP).

Meols Ward: John Dodd* (Lib Dem), Mike Swift (Con), Margaret Brown (SP), Maureen Stoker (Lab), Nigel Cecil (UKIP).

Norwood Ward: Ronnie Fearn* (Lib Dem), Tony Crabtree (Con), Michael Nolan (Lab), Margaret McEllenborough (BNP), Graham Taylor (UKIP).