Southampton City Council has published the list of candidates for city wards, including for Bitterne Park and Portswood - and with all seats up for grabs in the May 4 local election there’s a long list of choices.

Local elections decide who’s in charge of local public services, and how they are run.

Since 1997 Southampton has been a unitary authority, meaning it provides all local public services, from rubbish and recycling collections to planning, education, social care and libraries.

It’s currently Labour controlled, with a six-seat majority over the Conservatives.

As previously reported, while the council is usually ‘elected by thirds’ – meaning every year for three consecutive years only one councillor out of three for each of the city’s 17 wards completes their term of office, and elections are held for their seats – this time all seats will be up for grabs following ward boundary changes.

And unusually, voters will be able to vote for up to three candidates on each ballot paper this time, as there will be three vacant seats in each ward.

Photo ID needed to vote at polling stations in May

Who are the candidates in Bitterne Park

The ward is currently represented by one Labour councillor, Tony Bunday – the party’s first in Bitterne Park, elected last May – and two Conservatives, Ivan White and David Fuller.

All three current councillors are restanding, as well as former ward councillor Conservative Rob Harwood, who lost his seat to Bunday last time.

In all there are 12 candidates hoping for one of the three ward seats up for grabs, with the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats each standing three. The Greens and the TUSC are each putting up one candidate, and there is one independent.

Here’s the list published by the council:

BARNES-ANDREWS, Amanda Jane, Labour Party
BLUEMEL, Lindsi, Green Party
BUNDAY, Tony, Labour Party
CHAPMAN, Kathryn, Liberal Democrat
CURD, Ben, Liberal Democrat
FULLER, David John, Local Conservatives
HARWOOD, Rob, Local Conservatives
KELLY, David Thomas, Independent
MYERS, Nicholas Martyn, Liberal Democrat
STRUTT, Dawn Marie, Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
WEBB, Phil, Labour Party
WHITE, Ivan William Local Conservatives

How Bitterne Park voted in May 2022
BUNDAY, Anthony Wyatt, Labour and Co-operative Party, 1828 – Elected
FILEMAN, Vanessa Antonia, Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, 61
HARWOOD, Robert Craig, Local Conservatives, 1573
MAKRAKIS, Helen Mary, Green Party, 394
Electorate: 10259
Turnout: 37.79%

Who are the candidates in Portswood ward

Portswood ward, which includes St Denys, is currently served by three Labour councillors. John Savage and Gordon Cooper will be back on the ballot paper, along with Marie Finn, rather than current councillor and cabinet member Lisa Mitchell who isn’t restanding.

There are 14 candidates listed in Portswood: as well as Conservatives, Labour and the Lib Dems each standing three candidates, the Green Party is doing the same same in this ward. There is also one TUSC candidate, and one candidate from Nigel Farage-founded party Reform UK.

Here’s the list published by the council:

ADHIKARY, Tony, Reform UK
BARBOUR, Katherine Jane, Green Party
BEAN, Jonathan Simon, Green Party
CLARKE, Paul Alexander, Liberal Democrat
COOPER, Gordon John, Labour Party
EDWARDS, Karen May, Local Conservatives
FINN, Anne Marie, Labour Party
LANGRAN, John, Liberal Democrat
MAKRAKIS, Helen Mary, Green Party
MOULTON, Nicholas, Local Conservatives
O`DELL, Patricia Nellie, Local Conservatives
READ, James Arnold, Liberal Democrat
SAVAGE, John, Labour Party
TWINE, Derek Anthony, Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition

How Portswood voted in May 2022
BARBOUR, Katherine Jane, Green Party, 1435
CHENG, Wai Kee, Local Conservatives, 456
MITCHELL, Lisa, Labour Party, 1749 – Elected
TWINE, Derek Anthony, Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, 47
Electorate: 9364
Turnout: 39.56%

The Local Democracy Reporting Service noted that a third of councillors in the upcoming all-out election will hold a seat for only one year, another third for two years and the last third for three years depending on the number of votes they attract, so the council can return to its normal ‘voting in thirds’ system from next year.

Click here to download a list of all candidates in every city ward from the council’s website [pdf].

Additional reporting by Jamie Shapiro, Local Democracy Reporter 

Photo ID needed to vote at polling stations in May