The final list of candidates who residents in Hartlepool will be able to vote for when they go to the polls next month in the local council elections has been revealed.

A third of the 36 seats on Hartlepool Borough Council will be up for election on Thursday, May 7, with one councillor being voted in for each of the area’s 12 wards.

Several key figures from the current ruling Labour administration will be defending their positions including council leader Councillor Pamela Hargreaves and committee chairs Moss Boddy, Gary Allen, Melanie Morley and Owen Riddle.

Following success in recent council by-elections and defections to the party, Reform UK are standing candidates in all 12 wards as are the Green Party with the Conservatives fielding candidates in 11 wards.

Hartlepool Borough Council elections are held on Thursday, May 7.

placeholder image — Hartlepool Borough Council elections are held on Thursday, May 7.

The authority currently consists of 21 Labour councillors, five Reform UK members, two Conservatives, one Hartlepool Independent Union representative and seven independent members.

Any one party needs 19 of the 36 seats to take power.

If no party has sufficient councillors to form a majority then discussions usually take place to see if two or more parties, perhaps supported by independent members, can form a coalition council.

While some local authorities in the area such as Sunderland and South Tyneside have started holding their election counts during the day on Fridays, Hartlepool voters should know the outcome of their elections in the early hours of Friday morning.

The 57 candidates and their wards are as follows.

Burn Valley: Graham Harrison (Reform UK), Lucas Hennells-Barber (Liberal Democrats), Owen Riddle (Labour and Co-operative Party), India Robertson (Green Party), Bryan Thompson (Local Conservatives).

De Bruce: Nick Anderson (Reform UK), Rachel Creevy (Labour and Co-operative Party), Jasmine Khan (Green Party), Lydia Waller (Local Conservatives).

Fens and Greatham: Lisa Arnell (Green Party), Dave Bruce (Reform UK), Bob Buchan (Local Conservatives), Mark Hanson (Labour and Co-operative Party).

Foggy Furze: Mike Cherrington (Green Party), Christopher Groves (Local Conservatives), Melanie Morley (Labour and Co-operative Party), Connor Stallard (Liberal Democrats), Rob Stevenson (Reform UK).

Hart: Jo Banks (Independent), Michael Brookes (Green Party), Stuart Campbell (Independent), Rob Cook (Independent), Brian Cowie (Reform UK), Barry McKinstray (Liberal Democrats), David Nicholson (Local Conservatives), Jake Swinburne (Labour Party).

Headland and Harbour: Amanda Davis (Labour Party), Scott Gaiety (Reform UK), Jessica Ingham (Green Party), John Mawhinney (Local Conservatives), Nathan McLauchlan (Liberal Democrats).

Manor House: Ronnie Buglass (Reform UK), Tom Casey (Green Party), Pamela Hargreaves (Labour Party).

Rossmere: Moss Boddy (Labour Party), Matthew Hartley (Green Party), Veronica Nicholson (Local Conservatives), Christine Wiley (Reform UK).

Rural West: Tom Cassidy (Local Conservatives), Simon Crute (Green Party), Sara Hamouda (Labour and Co-operative Party), Richie Hughes (Reform UK).

Seaton: Mia Brown (Green Party), Nick Cain (Labour Party), Gordon Cranney (Independent), John Harrison (Local Conservatives), Michael Noppen (Liberal Democrats),

Peter Storey (Reform UK).

Throston: Jack Callaghan (Labour and Co-operative Party), Samuel Carr (Liberal Democrats), Margaret Lyall (Local Conservatives), Amanda Napper (Reform UK), Ewan Train (Green Party).

Victoria: Gary Allen (Labour and Co-operative Party), Connor Dorrian (Green Party), Adam Gaines (Reform UK), Rodney Pangbourne (Local Conservatives).