THE countdown to district and European elections starts tomorrow - and they could be a useful guide to the General Election in just over a year's time.
Nominations for the 18 seats on Stroud District Council - one third of its 51 seats - close tomorrow and at least three parties expect to field a full slate of candidates.
While most of the leading party figures expect to make gains in targeted seats, the political make-up of the council is widely expected to remain as it is.
Although the Conservative group has the most councillors at 21, the council is run by a Labour, Liberal Democrat, and Green and Independent alliance which has one more than the required 26 seats for overall control.
The Conservatives, Labour and Greens expect to field a candidate in all 18 wards, while the UK Independence Party could field candidates in around half those seats. The Liberal Democrats admit there could be a 'few gaps' on their nomination sheets.
The Tories are defending 10 seats including that of The Stanleys where party member Nigel Studdert-Kennedy stands, but not currently as a member of the district council Tory group.
Labour, which already has 17 seats, defend three seats, the Green and Independent group one, and the Liberal Democrats two. Those two latter parties are effectively defending one more each, as there is a by election in Central ward after Green and Independent member Andy Read's resignation. And there is a vacancy in Wotton-under-Edge after Liberal Democrat Alan O'Connor was dismissed for not appearing at a council meeting in six months. That seat was due to be contested on May 22 however.
Stroud Conservative MP Neil Carmichael expects his side to at least hold up its end if not improve but feels there are bigger issues around the corner.
"I don't think that people will be talking just about local issues - the European elections will focus almost entirely on the appropriate date for a referendum in Europe," he said.
"The Conservative party is the only mainstream party that is committed to a referendum.
"As ever we have a very good list of candidates to put forward, who are in touch with their wards' needs."
Last week Mr Carmichael was readopted to defend his Parliamentary seat by an 'overwhelming majority'. However it is understood that around five votes of approximately 40 were not in his favour.
He is not worried by the lack of unanimous support.
"I am delighted to have the overwhelming support for my readoption," he said.
Labour has already announced some candidates - former mayor Steve Robinson will try to wrest a Nailsworth seat from Conservative Rowland Blackwell in an area where the Greens have had a seat in the past.
And Colin Fryer will try to make it a set of three Labour members in Dursley, where Liberal Democrat Brian Marsh currently stands.
"It's crunch time for us in Dursley," said Mr Fryer. "We have to focus on getting jobs coming into the area or see the town dwindle into a dormitory town with hardly any local jobs. I know our Labour councillors, Geoff Wheeler and Doina Cornell, are already working on a better economic outlook for the town and its workers - and I'd like to work with them."
Paul Hemming leader of the five-strong Lib Dem group admitted there could be a 'few gaps' in its representation. While the Dursley seat is not likely to be a gap, there is a risk that there may be a Lib Dem nomination for council chairman Dennis Andrewartha's Cam West seat. He is one of six members standing down.
"It's very difficult trying to get more people to come forward," said Mr Hemming. "Most of the parties find the same problem.
"Perhaps it's the bad publicity from further up - I don't think the public like what some MPs have been doing."
He believes the balance of the council will remain similar.
"I think there will be a hung council and there will have to be negotiations," he said.
Green John Marjoram, currently the council's longest serving member, confirmed it intends fielding a candidate in every ward and with only two to defend, it will be looking to increase its seats from the five it has now.
