The 51 Preston candidates standing in Lancashire County Council's 'last ever' local elections

The hopefuls looking to represent the city at County Hall will be battling it out across nine divisions – the county council equivalent of electoral wards – at the poll on 1st May.

The list of nominations shows that Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party and Reform UK will be contesting all of the available seats.

Five independent candidates – individuals not affiliated to any political party – are also standing, while the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition is part of the contest in one of the Preston divisions.

The present political make-up at County Hall – after taking into account changes of allegiance over the past four years – sees the ruling Conservative group with 46 seats, Labour on 26, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party and Reform UK holding two each, while there are five independents and one seat is currently vacant.

Several current county councillors are contesting seats either for a party other than that which they represented at the last vote in 2021, or as independents, having previously been part of a party.

A government-ordered shake-up means this is likely to be the final election to Lancashire County Council, 136 years after it was formed.

The authority – and the 14 other councils across Lancashire – are set to be scrapped and replaced with a handful of new ones. On the government’s current timetable, that process is expected to be completed before the point at which the county council would otherwise be due to hold another election in 2029.

The politicians at County Hall are responsible for a raft of services across all parts of Lancashire except Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen – including adults and children’s social care, schools, highways, public health, waste processing and libraries.

Mark Wynn, Lancashire County Council’s electoral returning officer and chief executive, said: “The elections in May are your chance to have your say about who will take decisions on the many vital services which the county council delivers over the next four years.

“If you are not yet registered to vote, or wish to apply for a postal vote, there is still time, but you need to act quickly as the deadline is fast approaching.”

WHAT WILL I NEED TO VOTE?

In order to vote in the Lancashire County Council elections, you must be on the electoral register.

If you have not voted for a while or have changed your name or address, you might not be registered to vote, but you can check by contacting Preston City Council, the electoral registration office for Preston residents.

You can register online or by obtaining a paper form and returning it to the city council. The deadline for registration for the county council elections is 11th April at 11.59pm.

For the first time at a Lancashire County Council election, you will also need to bring with you suitable photo ID if you are voting in person at a polling station – such as a driving licence, passport or a bus pass for older or disabled people.

If you do not have an accepted form of photo ID, you will need to obtain a voter authority certificate, which can be done online, or with help from the Preston’s electoral registration office. The deadline for applying for a certificate is 5pm on 23rd April.

HOW DO I VOTE BY POST OR BY PROXY?

To register for a postal vote, you must apply by 5pm on 14th April – you can do so online or by obtaining a paper form from, and returning it to, Preston City Council’s election registration office.

If you would like someone else to vote in person on your behalf, you can apply for a proxy vote. The deadline is 5pm on 23rd April.

CANDIDATE LISTS

Below is a breakdown of all the Preston candidates standing for election to Lancashire County Council on 1st May.

Preston Central East

Frank De Molfetta – Labour

Darrin Anthony Greggans – Reform UK

Al-Yasa Khan – Conservatives

George Kulbacki – Liberal Democrats

Michael Lavalette – Independent

Callum Taylor – Green Party

Preston Central West

Matthew John Brown – Labour

Joe Custodio – Reform UK

Frankie Kennedy – Conservatives

Mike Peak – Liberal Democrats

Jennifer Robinson – Green Party

Preston City

Connor Joseph Dwyer – Labour

Holly Harrison – Green Party

Tayo Korede – Conservatives

Yousuf Motala – Independent

Scott Andrew Pye – Reform UK

Julie Van Mierlo – Liberal Democrats

Preston East

Edward Craven – Liberal Democrats

Geoffrey Allan Fielden – Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition

Anna Josephine Hindle – Labour

Luke Parker – Reform UK

John Paul Ross – Green Party

Keith Sedgewick – Conservatives

Preston North

Qasim Silman Ajmi – Independent

Fiona Duke – Liberal Democrats

Maxwell Owen Green – Conservatives

Charles Parkinson – Green Party

Alex Harry Charles Sharples – Reform UK

Samir Vohra – Labour

Preston Rural

Millie Barber – Green Party

Daniel Guise – Liberal Democrats

Maria Jones – Reform UK

Sue Whittam – Conservatives

Valerie Wise – Labour

Preston South East

Jenny Mein – Labour

Andy Pratt – Conservatives

Almas Razakazi – Independent

John Rutter – Liberal Democrats

Marion Seed – Green Party

Nigel Leith Wilson – Reform UK

Preston South West

Kevin Brockbank – Conservative

Laura Jane Dalton – Green Party

Mark Jewell – Liberal Democrats

Nweeda Khan – Labour

Emma Ruth Mead – Independent

Lee Slater – Reform UK

Preston West

Trevor Hart – Conservatives

Michael Christopher McGowan – Labour

John Potter – Liberal Democrats

Jemma Louise Rushe – Reform UK

Dan Thompson – Green Party

Remember: for the first time at a Lancashire County Council election, you will also need to bring with you suitable photo ID if you are voting in person at a polling station – such as a driving licence, passport or a bus pass for older or disabled people.