All 82 seats are up for grabs in next month’s Cheshire East Council elections.

Altogether 254 candidates are standing across the borough, with the Conservatives putting forward the most candidates at 81 and Labour fielding 60.

The Greens have 34 candidates standing and the Liberal Democrats have 30.

Outside of the mainstream parties, candidates are standing as Independents as well as those standing for such groups as Alderley Edge First, Bollington First, Putting Crewe First, Tytherington Ward Independents, Residents of Wilmslow and the Women’s Equality Party.

Two candidates are standing for Reform UK and one for the Social Democratic Party.

There is also a candidate this year for the Official Monster Raving Loony Party.

Cheshire East has 82 councillors in 52 wards.

The council is currently run by a joint Labour and Independent administration after the Conservatives, who had been in control since the council was formed in 2009, lost their majority in 2019.

Despite not being in control, the Tories are still currently the biggest party on Cheshire East. The make-up of the council at present is 30 Conservative councillors; 24 Labour; 17 Independent Group councillors – this group includes others such as Bollington First, Residents of Wilmslow and Alderley Edge First.

The Liberal Democrats currently have four councillors on Cheshire East and there are also four non-grouped councillors – they are Independents who are not members of the Independent Group.

At present three seats are currently vacant. The Handforth seat has been vacant since November of last year following the sad death of Independent councillor Barry Burkhill.

And Labour’s Steve Carter, who represented Macclesfield Hurdsfield, sadly died in December.

One of the Macclesfield Tytherington seats is also vacant after Independent member Lloyd Roberts resigned from the council.

The local elections take place on Thursday, May 4, and this year you will need photo ID when you go to vote.

For more information about voter ID and to see a full list of all the candidates standing in this year's Cheshire East Council elections, visit the council's website and click on the Election 4 May 2023 tab on the home page.