York

The authority currently hangs on a knife-edge, with 25 Labour councillors, 24 Liberal Democrats, three Conservatives and one Independent.

A total of 47 seats will be contested, the number available dropping from 53 after recent boundary changes.

The current Labour total includes former council leader Rod Hills, who, despite being suspended from the party after personal problems, was still deemed to be a Labour councillor.

The tight balance has led to the Tories holding the balance of power at the council. Upper Poppleton Independent Janet Hopton has also played a crucial role in some council votes.

In total, Labour is fielding 45 candidates at this election, the Liberal Democrats 47, the Conservatives 27 and the Green Party 15.

On the political fringes, The Official Monster Raving Loony Party has fielded just the one candidate, York election stalwart Graham Cambridge, known as Eddie Vee.

York Socialist Alliance is fighting the Guildhall Ward and is also challenging council leader Dave Merrett by fielding a candidate in the Micklegate ward.

Acomb – Robert Anderson (Lib Dem); Graham Cambridge (RL); Valmai Galvin (Con); Julie Hook (Lib Dem); David Horton (Lab); Tracey Simpson-Laing (Lab). Bishopthorpe – Winifred Atkinson (Lab); David Livesley (Lib Dem); Susan Williams (Con). Clifton – John Cook (Ind); Alan Jones (Lab); Kenneth King (Lab); Joanna Macdonald (Lib Dem); Leslie Marsh (Ind); Stephen Prophet (Ind); David Scott (Lab); William Shaw (Grn); Simon Tarry (Lib Dem); Samantha Waudby (Lib Dem). Derwent – Jennifer Brooks (Con); Lesley Della Gana (Lab); Janet Greenwood (Lib Dem). Dringhouses and Woodthorpe – Bernard Bell (Lab); Richard Cregan (Lab); Alan Deanes (Con); Monica Garrity (Con); Gerard Hodgson (Lab); Thomas Holvey (Lib Dem); John Naylor (Con); Ann Reid (Lib Dem); Susan Sunderland (Lib Dem). Fishergate – John Boardman (Lab); Andrew D’Agorne (Grn); Robin Dickson (Con); Karen Dunk (Lib Dem); Roger Farrington (Lab); Mark Hill (Grn); Derek Waudby (Lib Dem). Fulford – Keith Aspden (Lib Dem); Walter Davy (Con); Helen Kenwright (Grn); Alan Smith (Lab). Guildhall – Nicholas Blitz (Lib Dem); Gillian Cossham (Grn); Denise Craghill (Grn); Janet Looker (Lab); Mark Russell (Soc); Phillip Thomas (Lib Dem); Nicholas Toms (Con); Brian Watson (Lab). Haxby & Wigginton – Doris Bell (Lab); Stephen Burton (Lab); Gareth Dadd (Con); Alan Hall (Lib Dem); Christopher Hogg (Lib Dem); Robert Phillips (Con); Alan Robertshaw (Grn); Michael Watson (Lib Dem); David Wilson (Lab). Heslington – Martin Brumby (Lab); Andrew Collingwood (Soc); Ceredig Jamieson-Ball (Lib Dem); Richard Robeson (Con); Candida Spillard (Grn). Heworth – Nigel Ayre (Lib Dem); Paul Blanchard (Lab); Patricia Kay (Con); Vivienne Kind (Lab); David Layfield (Grn); Ian Packington (Lib Dem); Ruth Potter (Lab); Matthew Reid (Lib Dem). Heworth Without – William Bennett (Con); Martin Lancelott (Lib Dem); David Thompson (Lab) Holgate – Martin Bartlett (Lib Dem); Elizabeth Edge (Lab); Charles Fairclough (Lib Dem); Peter Finlay (Lab); Nicholas Major (Con); Mark Nicholson (Grn); Gilbert Nimmo (Lib Dem); Annie Thompson (Lab) Hull Road – Gordon Campbell-Thomas (Ind); John Cossham (Grn); Kevin Dunk (Lib Dem); Duncan Flynn (Con); Derek Smallwood (Lab); David Wilde (Lab); Susan Willer (Lib Dem) Huntington & New Earswick – James Alexander (Lab); Geoffrey Beacon (Lab); Keith Hyman (Lib Dem); Carol Runciman (Lib Dem); Paul Tumman (Con); Clive Woolley (Grn) Micklegate – Simon Blackburn (Lib Dem); Ian Bunting (Lib Dem); Andrew Chase (Grn); David Evans (Lab); Alexander Fraser (Lab); David King (Grn); Robert Looker (Soc); Anthony Martin (Grn); Christopher Megone (Con); David Merrett (Lab); Gilliam Thompson (Lib Dem). Osbaldwick – Andrew Garbutt (Lab); Gerald Grisdale (Ind); Jonathan Morley (Lib Dem). Rural West York – Glen Bradley (Lib Dem); Annette Brumby (Lab); John Gillies (Con); Carole Green (Lib Dem); Janet Hopton (Ind); Quentin Macdonald (Lib Dem); Iain Simpson-Laing (Lab); Adam Sinclair (Con); George Thomson-Smith (Con) Skelton, Rawcliffe & Clifton Without – Andrew Dearden (Grn); Peter Gibson (Con); Anthony Ireland (Lab); Andrew Kay (Con); Richard Moore (Lib Dem); Matthew Page (Lab); Victor Paylor (Ind); Maureen Smith (Lab); Irene Waudby (Lib Dem); Mark Waudby (Lib Dem). Strensall – Ian Cuthbertson (Lib Dem); Robert Guthrie (Lab); William Hanbury (Con); Madeleine Kirk (Lib Dem); Jonathan Moore (Con); Karl Smith (Lab). Westfield – Paul Baptie (Lab); Kenneth Beavan (Con); Stephen Galloway (Lib Dem); Susan Galloway (Lib Dem);
Thomas Gibson (Lab); James Tipton (Lab); Andrew Waller (Lib Dem). Wheldrake – John Galvin (Con); Edward Gouge (Lab); Christian Vassie (Lib Dem).