Meet the candidates as Barrow heads to the polls

At stake is just 36 seats in the council chamber on Thursday, May 2 in an all-out election of the council.

Once again, it will be a three-party fight between Labour, the Conservatives and UKIP to take charge for a four-year term of office.

Unlike neighbouring South Lakeland, the Liberal Democrats have been unable to find sufficient numbers to stand for the borough, same too for the Greens.

A spokesperson for the local Liberal Democrats said: "Although we have no candidates standing in Barrow this year, we have four excellent candidates standing in Furness who will be strong voices for our area in the SLDC council chamber in Kendal if elected on May 2.”

Voters across Barrow, Walney, Dalton, Askam, Lindal and Marton will face a choice between red or blue with UKIP hoping to pick off votes from both major parties.

Candidates will be fighting to represents wards in Walney North and South, Barrow Island, Hindpool, Central Barrow, Ormsgill, Parkside, Risedale, Hawcoat, Newbarns, Roosecote, Dalton North and South.

Since 2015, the council has held a Labour majority with 26 councillors to nine Conservatives councillors with a single Independent – giving Labour a majority of 16.

Frank Cassidy, the Barrow and Furness Labour Party joint-spokesperson said it had concluded its most "rigorous" selection process for many years.

He said: “Our focus has been about bringing together the best candidates to take forward our message of hope for local people.

"Barrow and Furness Labour is a forward-thinking pragmatic party that works with businesses, promotes the regeneration of our town centre and strongly backs the Dreadnought programme and our shipyard where jobs are safe for the next 30 years.

"The candidates that we have selected provide us with a combination of experienced operators and new faces who are ready to tackle the job in hand.

"We will be explaining to voters why it is in their best interests to vote Labour and our candidates – all 36 – and a committed team of volunteers will support them in our campaign.

“Our people, if elected, will work hard in every ward to help residents with day-to-day issues and many of our candidates have solid skills in community organisation and problem-solving.

He added: "More than £7m has been stripped from Barrow council's budget in recent years but despite this, councillors and council officers have liaised with ordinary people to restore confidence and plug the gaps.”

Labour plan to attack the Government’s record on austerity, Brexit, Universal Credit and food banks.

In the blue corner, Barrow and Dalton Conservatives say they have fielded 36 candidates for the first time for more than 20 years.

Group leader Rory McClure said: “Our plan outlines the vision we have for the borough. It’s a plan for aspiration, cleaner streets, a bustling local economy and putting Barrow on the map for all of the right reasons.

"We believe that Barrow’s best days are ahead of us, a thriving, outward-looking Barrow, with a Conservative council that puts people first.

"It’s time for a change. Local people tell us that they are fed up with Labour constantly talking and running the area down.

"As part of our plan, we will see cleaner streets, more genuinely affordable housing, a vibrant high street and most importantly a council that promotes Barrow and the borough to the world. Conservatives back Dreadnought, BAE Systems and the local economy.

"The result of this huge investment is seen in the ever-changing skyline of our town and local businesses in the leisure and retail industry and the supply chain all benefit from this Conservative government.

"We’d be ideally placed to work with Government, so that all areas of the borough can prosper. Local people tell us that they’re sick of cracked paving stones, overflowing bins, missed bin collections, weeds and dog mess. A Conservative council in Barrow will stop the rot, so that Barrow looks it’s best.”

n MEET THE CANDIDATES

All wards have three seats unless stated otherwise

Walney North

Lab: Des Barlow, Tony Callister, Anita Husband

Cons: Nicky Kyle, Logan O’Brien, Paul Rose

UKIP: Keith Pearson.

Walney South

Lab: Frank Cassidy, Colin Thomson, Helen Wall

Cons: Steve Jamieson, Josh McLeavy, Lynda Shaw

UKIP: John Gidney

Barrow Island: 1 seat

Lab: Allison Johnston

Cons: Brenda Lauderdale

UKIP: Doug Walters

Hindpool

Lab: Anne Burns, Dave Pidduck, Ann Thomson

Cons: Michael Conlin, Ann English, Ged Nicholson

UKIP: David Roberts

Central: 2 seats

Lab: Trevor Biggins, Steve Robson

Cons: Anne Bispham, Emma Wylie

UKIP: Anne McMeekin

Ormsgill

Lab: Derek Brook, Bill McEwan, Beverly Morgan

Cons: Michelle Foster, Terri Gibney, Jill Heath

UKIP: Theresa McMeekin

Parkside

Lab: Terry Assouad, Iain Mooney, Lee Roberts

Cons: Robin Jameson, Louise Smith, Sol Wielkopolski

UKIP: Rick Currie

Risedale

Lab: Kevin Hamilton, Hayley Preston, Debra Seward

Cons: Hannah Bolam, Kerry Burns, Gillian McLeavy

UKIP: Colin Rudd

Hawcoat

Lab: Tricia Casey, Rachael Knott, Lee McKenna

Cons: Hazel Edwards, Alan Pemberton, Roy Worthington

UKIP: Geoffrey Bowron

Newbarns

Lab: Thommy ((CORRECT)), McNaughton, John Murphy, Alec Proffitt

Cons: Mark Burley, Les Hall, Wendy McClure

UKIP: Carol Sloan

Roosecote

Lab: Fred Chatfield, Steve Herbert, Andrew Mooney

Cons: Derek Gawne, Rory McClure, Martin McLeavy

UKIP: Patricia Bowron

Dalton North

Lab: Janice Benson, Robert Elliot, Mai Harrison

Cons: Daniel Edwards, Sam Ronson, Ben Shirley

UKIP: Brian Litster ((CORRECT))

Dalton South

Lab: Shaun Blezard, Wendy Maddox, Steve Nott

Cons: Des English, Gordon Murray, Nick Perie

UKIP: Dick Young

PANEL

Hosting an election is a major operation for Barrow Borough Council which started planning months ago. As of March 1, some 52,776 people across the borough were eligible to vote at 42 polling stations, barring any late entries.

There will be more than 50 counters and 45 polling clerks on duty with the results declared by the council’s returning officer Jon Huck.

Anyone who is not registered to vote can apply to be included on the council’s register of electors. Any applications to vote must reach the Electoral Registration Officer at the Town Hall by Friday, April 12, 2019.

Mr Huck said electors should take note that new applications to vote by post or applications to change or cancel an existing postal or proxy vote must also reach the Electoral Registration Officer at the Town Hall by no later than 5pm on Monday, April 15, 2019, if they are to be effective for the borough elections.

New applications to vote by proxy must reach the Electoral Registration Officer no later than 5pm on Wednesday, April 24, except applications to vote by proxy on grounds of emergency (medical or work-related) occurring after 5pm on Wednesday, April 24.

Such applications may be made no later than 5pm on Thursday, May 2.