The Liberal Democrats plan to put forward candidates in each of Herefordshire’s 53 wards in May’s local elections, and are “very confident” of once again running the county.

The party’s group leader and former Herefordshire Council leader Coun Terry James said: “We conduct our own independent polling and it’s looking good for us. There will be some shocks.”

Among these, he expected some current Conservative seats to go to the LibDems, as “quite a lot of people” have indicated they will switch support in this way, he said.

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The party ran the county outright in the late 1990s and as a coalition partner in the early 2000s under Coun James’ leadership, but were reduced to just two seats in the county after the 2015 local election.

This rose to six in 2019, all of whom – Polly Andrews, Chris Bartrum, Phillip Howells, Terry James, Louis Stark and Kevin Tillett – are among the 30 who have now confirmed they will stand on May 4.

The full list of confirmed candidates so far, according to the local party’s website, is:

  • Polly Andrews (Widemarsh, Hereford)
  • Chris Bartrum (Ross North)
  • Jacqui Carwardine (Newton Farm, also for Hereford City Council)
  • Anna Davey (Aylestone Hill, Hereford)
  • Linden Delves (Old Gore)
  • Mark Dykes (Belmont Rural; also Newton Farm on Hereford City Council)
  • Matthew Eakin (Ledbury South)
  • Ed Hickie (Wormside)
  • Debbie Hobbs (Kings Acre, Hereford)
  • Cat Hornsey (Dinedor Hill; also Hinton & Hunderton on Hereford City Council)
  • Phillip Howells (Ledbury West)
  • David Howerski (Stoney Street)
  • Terry James (Kington)
  • Matthew Lane (Greyfriars, Hereford)
  • Emma Mayes (Whitecross, Hereford)
  • Ed O'Driscoll (Ross East)
  • Aubrey Oliver (Saxon Gate, Hereford)
  • Rob Owens (Bobblestock, Hereford)
  • Sam Potts (Eign Hill, Hereford)
  • Dan Powell (Redhill, Hereford)
  • Ben Proctor (College, Hereford)
  • Michelle Setchfield (Llangarron)
  • Scott Shaw (Castle)
  • Louis Stark (Ross West)
  • Paul Stevens (Holmer, Hereford)
  • Simon Tarlton (Kerne Bridge)
  • Kevin Tillett (Hinton & Hunderton, Hereford)
  • James Vidler (Backbury)
  • Mal Williams Central, Hereford)
  • John Winder (Penyard)

Labour announced last week it will field 12 candidates in the county, chiefly in urban areas. Other parties in the county have yet to announce their candidates.

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