The Great British elections: Who would you vote for?

 

BRITAIN - Local elections take place Thursday May 3 in England, Scotland and Wales and political parties are now giving their campaigns a final push. 

Referendums on creating elected mayors will take place in 10 English cities.

Meanwhile, people in Liverpool, London and Salford will choose their mayor.

Labour are looking to make gains in England and Wales after losses in 2008, while the Conservatives
hope to defend seats they gained. The Lib Dems are focusing on areas of existing strength. 

Mayor of London and London Assembly elections

In 2008, when the last elections took place, the Conservatives gained 257 councillors across England and Wales, taking over 12 councils in the process.

Labour lost 334 councillors and nine councils. The Liberal Democrats gained 33 councillors and one council.

In London, Labour's former Mayor Ken Livingstone is attempting to regain the role taken from him by Conservative Boris Johnson in 2008.

Mr Johnson won by 53.2% to Mr Livingstone's 46.8% last time round.

Independent Siobhan Benita, the BNP's Carlos Cortiglia, the Green Party's Jenny Jones, Liberal Democrat Brian Paddick and UKIP's Lawrence Webb are also standing.

The 25 seats on the London Assembly are also being contested.

Twelve candidates are running for mayor in Liverpool and 10 in Salford.

Mayoral referendums are taking place Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Coventry, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Nottingham, Sheffield and Wakefield.

Meanwhile, Doncaster will hold a vote to decide whether to abolish the town's directly elected mayor.

The candidates

Siobhan Benita - Independent party

Carlos Cortiglia - British National party

Boris Johnson - Conservative

Jenny Jones - Green

Lawrence Webb - Fist Choice for London

Ken Livingston - Labour

Brian Paddick - Liberal Democrats

AND why you should vote... 

Whether or not you vote, the result will have an impact on your life. Here are eleven reasons why the result of the elections could make a difference to you:

1) Unhappy with your council tax bill or transportation costs? Local councils decide how much you pay. 

2) Unhappy with your local services such as, your library facilities, elderly care, education, housing, policing, potholes on your road etc? You need to vote. Your vote could help determine how much say you have over local services in future. 

3) Councils are also generally responsible for parking regulation and enforcement - often controversial. 

5) The ballot box is not just the place to have your say on the quality (or otherwise) of local services. It's also where you decide who the person will be on the other end of the telephone if you need to be re-housed or appeal to get your child into the school you wanted. If you're unhappy about the school your child has been allocated, or you live in overcrowded housing, your local councillor should be the person to help.

6) What your area will look like in ten years' time - or sooner - is to some extent determined by the local authority. County, metropolitan and unitary authorities are responsible for strategic planning, such as where housing and industry should be built. Metropolitan, district and unitary authorities also rule on planning applications. From your neighbour's loft conversion to new supermarkets and housing - the council has a say. 

7) Even if you care little for local councillors - there's another poll going on this year. Do you want an elected mayor? Or do you vehemently not want an elected mayor? 

8) Do you have strong feelings about who begins your mayor? Then vote.

9) County councils and unitary authorities in England are also getting new powers over public health, and money to improve it, from April 2013. 

10) Quite aside from what it means to you - the results in local elections will be used, however accurately, to draw conclusions about the state of the parties nationally. 

11) When politicians argue that they are answerable at the ballot box - this is what they're talking about. It's the only chance you'll get this year to make your voice heard. Your vote equals your power - never take your vote for granted.

For more information go to  http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/