COVENTRIANS will be heading to the polls on May 4 for the city council elections.
Because the authority votes in a third of councillors each time, there will be 18 of the 54 seats up for grabs which eight political parties will be contesting.
Currently, Labour has an overall majority with 38 seats, more than double the Conservatives’ 15. The Green Party hold the remaining seat, being the only other party to represent a ward on the council.
Labour and Conservative are fielding candidates in all 18 wards whilst the Trade Union and Socialist Coalition will contest 17 wards, compared to the Green Party’s 16 candidates. The Coventry Citizens Party has put forward candidates for 14 wards.
The Liberal Democrats will field 10 candidates as nominees from the Alliance for Democracy and Freedom and Reform UK will also stand.
Who is standing and where?
The candidates for Bablake include Beatrice Christopher for the Labour and Co-operative Party, Russel Field for the Lib Dems, Tarlochan Jandu for the Conservatives, Tony Middleton for the Coventry Citizens Party, James Webb for the Green Party and Ted Woodley for the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition.
In Binley and Willenhall, Paul Cowley will stand for the Coventry Citizens Party, Marianne Angela-Fitzgerald for the Alliance for Democracy and Freedom, Ram Lakha for the Labour Party, Michael Morgan for the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition and Akpevwe Odje for the Conservatives.
The Cheylesmore ward will be contested by Richard Brown of the Labour party, Judy Griffiths of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, Amarjit Khangura of the Conservatives, Anna Richmond of the Lib Dems, Ian Stringfellow of the Coventry Citizens Party and Bruce Raymond of the Green Party.
In Earlsdon, Cameron Baxter stands in for Coventry Citizens Party, John Campbell for the Green Party, Becky Gittins for the Labour and Co-operative Party, Adam Harmsworth for the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, Zaid Rehman for the Conservatives and Stephen Richmond for the Lib Dems.
Foleshill will be contested by Abdul Khan of the Labour Party, Mila Matharu of the Trade Unionist and Socialists Coalition, and Ken Taylor of the Conservative Party.
Farad Misaghi of the Conservative Party will stand in Henley against Aidan O’toole of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, Patricia Seaman of the Labour Party, Cathy Wattebot of the Green Party and Thomas Watts of the Coventry Citizens Party.
In Holbrook, the Conservative Party will field Mike Ballinger, the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition will field Jim Hensman, the Labour and Co-operative Party will field Lynette Kelly and the Green Party will field Esther Reeves.
Longford will be contested by Linda Bigham of the Labour Party, Alan Checklin of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, Danny Foulstone of the Green Party, William Sidhu of the Conservative Party and Sian Williamson of the Coventry
Citizens Party.
Lower Stoke will see Andrew Soares vie for a seat for the Libs Dems, alongside Thomas Jewell of the Green Party, John McNicholas of the Labour and Co-operative Party, John O’Sullivan of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, Pratibha Reddy of the Conservatives and Dani Stringfellow of the Coventry Citizens Party.
In Radford, Maya Ali stands in for the Labour Party, Dave Anderson for the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, Marcus Fogden for the Coventry Citizens Party, Julie Spriddle for the Green Party and Muhammad Tariq for the Conservatives.
Sherbourne will be contested by Teri Fogden of the Coventry Citizens Party, Gavin Lloyd of the Labour Party, Jane Nellist of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, David Priestley of the Green Party, Stephen Smith of the Conservative Party and Caroline Spence of the Liberal Democrats.
In St Michael’s, Chrissie Brown stands in for the Green Party, Benoit Davies for the Liberal Democrats, Ioannis Kaliandis for the Conservative Party, Dave Nellist for the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, Jim O’Boyle for the Labour Party and Karen Wilson for the Coventry Citizens Party.
Upper Stoke will see Gary Cooper stand in for the Coventry Citizens Party, Amirjit Kaur for the Labour Party, Terri Rosser for the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, Gurdeep Sohal for the Conservative Party and Laura Vesty for the Green Party.
Becky Finlayson will contest Wainbody for the Green Party alongside Adam Hancock of the Coventry Citizens Party, Mohammed Miah of the Labour Party, James Morshead of the Liberal Democrats and Tim Sawdon of the Conservative Party.
Westwood will be contested by Randhir Auluck of the Labour Party, Jim Donnelly of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, Marcus Lapsa of the Conservative Party, Jessica Marshall of the Green Party and Jamie Simpson of the Liberal Democrats.
In Whoberley, Pervez Akhtar will stand in for the Labour Party, Del Chahal for the Conservative Party, Anna Grainger for the Liberal Democrats, Nate Lewis for the Coventry Citizens Party, Zoe Parker for the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition and Anne Patterson for the Green Party.
Sarah Davis will contest Woodlands for the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition alongside Peter Male for the Conservative Party, Mark Perryman for the Liberal Democrats, Neil Rider for the Labour and Co-operative Party and Lesley Sim for the Green Party.
The final ward (alphabetically), Wyken will be contested by Russell Berry of the Green Party and Samiul Islam of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition.
Remember to be ‘ID OK’ for Polling Day
This year for the first time, those voting in person will have to take along identification to prove who they are at the polling station.
Among the accepted types are a UK, European Economic Area (EEA) or Commonwealth passport, a driving licence issued by the UK,
Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or an EEA state, a blue badge and a concessionary travel pass, such as an older person’s bus pass.
There have been concerns about the new rules with one study finding a third of Coventry residents not knowing they need voter ID.
Visit the Electoral Commission website at electoralcommission.org.uk/voterID for the full list of accepted photo ID.
