THE stakes have been laid for next month’s Worcestershire County Council elections - with 273 candidates battling it out for just 57 seats.

The much-anticipated County Hall count will see nine political parties compete for power on Thursday, May 2.

The controlling Conservative administration is taking no chances, fielding candidates in all 57 seats, with the Labour Party pitted as the main rival with 49 candidates.

The UK Independence Party has recruited 42 would-be councillors, below the 50 leader Nigel Farage was boasting about having during a visit to Worcester last week, while the Green Party has 40, a record number.

The Liberal Democrats have managed 34, and the British National Party has 16 names on the ballot sheets.

The contest, the first one the county council has staged since 2009, comes amid a backdrop of a Coalition Government and soaring popularity at the polls for UKIP.

The Conservatives control 41 seats at County Hall - a massive majority, with the nearest rivals the Liberal Democrat group on seven, followed by Labour on four.

Both main challengers will hope the Government’s mid-term blues can be exploited by taking Conservative gains, while serious focus will also be on UKIP to see if the party’s poll ratings result in an historic breakthrough.

The Green Party is also fielding its strongest ever hand, and will hope to build on last year’s Worcester City Council elections, when Councillor Neil Laurenson won the St Stephen seat.

New councillors are guaranteed in St Peter’s, where John Cairns is stepping down, and Nunnery, where Tory Lucy Hodgson was de-selected, only to find a new seat to contest, The Chase in Malvern.

A new politician will also be selected for Croome following the death of Conservative Bob Bullock.

In the St Stephen ward, in Worcester, current city Councillor Geoff Williams, who chairs the planning committee, has been selected to take on Tory veteran Councillor Mary Drinkwater.

The appeal of grabbing some control in Worcestershire has spread far beyond the traditional parties, with nine independents standing, as well as five people on behalf of left wing group Trades Unionists and Socialists Against the Cuts.

Independent Community Health Concern, which was partly set up to defend the NHS, has 11 candidates, the Labour & Co-operative group has nine, and there is one candidate called ‘Wythall Residents’, current Councillor Stephen Peters.

* Monday’s Worcester News will feature a full list of candidates and a round-up of the key battlegrounds around Worcestershire.

From Tuesday onwards, we will also profile the political parties and their hopes of grabbing control.

  • Click here for full list of candidates