AS Pendle goes to the polls on May 5, it remains a wide-open race between the country’s three major political forces.

Liberal Democrats were ousted as the leading party at the last General Election after a number of years in charge, and the Conservatives emerged as frontrunners.

But efforts to form a consensus cabinet, featuring leading lights from both parties and Labour, soon faltered.

Several posts were dished out between Tories and Labour, with Conservative councillor Mike Blomeley at the helm.

Labour walked away from this arrangement last month, though.

The three big guns all have more than a dozen councillors and a close contest is expected.

Currently there are 17 Tories, 16 Lib Dems, 13 Labour, two British National Party and one independent member on the council.

Several veteran councillors have decided to call it a day in the run-up to the elections.

Former mayor Coun Allan Buck, in Barnoldswick’s Coates ward, Colne Boulsworth’s Violet Vaughan and Coun Sonia Robinson, a borough and former county representative in Nelson Southfield, will not contest seats.

The other councillors not seeking re-election include Martin Bell, of Craven ward in Barnoldswick, Foulridge’s Carol Belshaw and Nelson Clover Hill’s Gary Bird.

Key battles include the seats held by cabinet members Coun Tonia Barton, at Reedley, Coun James Starkie, in Higham, and ex-council leader Coun John David, for the Old Laund Booth seat.

The mostly-keenly contested seat in the borough will be Coun Robinson’s old seat in Southfield.

Barrowford

Linda Margaret Crossley Conservative
Susan Frances Nike Labour.

Blacko and Higherford

Shelagh Rita Derwent Conservative
John Edward Pope Labour.

Boulsworth

Julian Marc Jordan Labour
James Edward Kerrigan Liberal Democrat
Paul White Conservative.

Bradley

Timothy Eyre Conservative
David Geddes England First Party
Kenneth Iqbal Massey Liberal Democrat
Nadeem Younis Labour.

Brierfield

Nawaz Ahmed Labour
Jack Steven Gregory Conservative.

Clover Hill

Julie Fairless British National Party
Richard James Smith Labour
Janice Taylor Conservative
James Wood Liberal Democrat.

Coates

Stephanie Clarke Conservative
Janine Tracey Throupe Liberal Democrat
Ian William Tweedie Labour.

Craven

Jennifer Purcell Conservative
William Edward Roberts Labour
David Ronald Stead Liberal Democrat.

Earby

Morris Horsfield Conservative
James Daniel Morris Jackman English Democrats
Hazel Anne Rycroft Labour
Jacqueline Michelle Taylforth Liberal Democrat.

Foulridge

James Denzil Metcalfe Labour
Graham Waugh Conservative.

Higham and Pendleside

James Keith Starkie Conservative
Robert Andrew Oliver Labour.

Horsfield

David Kenneth Foat Labour
Ann Marie Kerrigan Liberal Democrat
Rachel Pearson Conservative.

Old Laund Booth

John David Liberal Democrat
Jill Hartley Conservative
Peter Rowland Maltby Labour.

Reedley

Robert Bayne Allen Labour
Tonia Barton Conservative.

Southfield

John Edward Banks UK Independence Party
David Geddes England First Party
Lee England Karmer British National Party
Paul McKenna Conservative
Judith Ann Robinson Liberal Democrat
David Whalley Labour.

Vivary Bridge

Joseph Cooney Conservative
Anthony Hargreaves Labour
Howard Philip Thomas Liberal Democrat.

Waterside

David Phillip Johns Labour
Maureen Regan Conservative
Graham Roach Liberal Democrat
Peter John Rowe British National Party.