KEY head-to-head election battles will determine whether Labour’s lead in national opinion polls translates into success in the Blackburn with Darwen council elections.

Voters go to the polls on May 3, and Labour are defending an 11-seat majority over the Conservatives, on 18 seats, and the six-strong Liberal Democrats group.

  • Regeneration head Coun Dave Harling is against Tory Asghar Ali in Wensley Fold and Coun Faryad Hussain, enviromental improvement cabinet member, will be awaiting the vote in Queen’s Park alongside Ali Imtiaz, for the Conservatives.

Coun Michael Law-Riding, deputy Conservative leader, contests Roe Lee with Labour’s Sylvia Liddle and the British National Party’s Nancy Shaw.

  • In Darwen the contest in Earcroft may be a barometer for the future of the For Darwen party. Leader Stephen Potter is battling it out with Labour’s Stephanie Brookfield, Mark Davies (Conservative) and Lib Dem Lynne Perkins.

It has already been announced that Andrew Graham is stepping down in Sunnyhurst, leaving Conservative Darwen town councillor Brenda Cronshaw, Labour’s Pete Hollings and Liberal Democrat Mark Westall pitted against each other.

Town mayor Paul Browne is defending Sudell against For Darwen’s Dave Jackson, the Conservative’s Ryan Slater and Matt Worden, for Labour.

Borough mayor Coun Karimeh Foster is up against Labour’s Anna Brookfield and Neil Slater (Conservative) in Whitehall.

  • Meanwhile in Hyndburn, the situation is once again on a knife-edge, with just one seat separating the ruling Labour group from the combined Tories and Independents’ influence.

Former mayor Malcolm Pritchard, as an Independent, is standing against Basharat Khan (Conservative), Labour’s Joan Smith and Stephen Talbot, for the Lib Dems.

Elsewhere deputy leader Coun Munsif Dad is facing a four-way fight in Springhill, as is former deputy leader Coun Peter Clarke at Overton.

  • In Chorley campaigning has begun for what one party leader has described as the “most important elections for a generation”.

Sixteen of the borough’s 47 seats are being contested on May 3, with 43 candidates vying to become councillors.

Control of the council rests with the current Conservative-led administration comprising of 23 members who formed a coalition with two Liberal Democrats.

Labour currently have 20 councillors and there are two independents.

  • No elections are scheduled in Ribble Valley this time around.
  • THE balance of power on councils in Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale is on a knife-edge, as the identity of candidates for this year’s local elec-tions are announced.
  • In Burnley, the Liberal Democrats are in control, currently holding 21 seats out of 45.

But Labour has wheeled out the big guns with Shadow Cabinet member Yvette Cooper and Helen Jones visiting town recently.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg also paid a flying visit to Burnley last week.

In a a surprise move, Lib Dem party agent Darren Rey-nolds will not be contesting Queens-gate and, as has been previously announ-ced, Conservative leader Peter Doyle is standing down at Whittlefield with Ightenhill.

Key battlegrounds are expected to be Gannow, Rosegrove with Lowerhouse, Rosehill with Burn-ley Wood, Brunshaw and Daneshouse with Stoneyholme.

Liberal Democrats Jim Pilling and Tim Nuttall, and Community First’s Alan Neal are currently the kingmakers in Rossendale, with Labour on 17 seats and the Conservatives on 16.

Former Tory cabinet members Jason Gledhill and Nicola May are not standing again, but Conservative leader Darryl Smith is contesting Eden ward with Labour’s Janice Johnson.

  • The three-way tussle in Pendle, with 18 Conservatives, 17 Labour seats, and the Lib Dems on 12, is expected to continue.

Former council leader Azhar Ali is contesting Marsden ward in Nelson against the British National Party, and the Green Party is fielding four candidates across the borough.

It has also been announced that one East Lancashire councillor is bidding to represent Cheltenham in the forthcoming elections.

George Askew has stood down from his Boulsworth seat on Pendle Council, but has retained his Pendle Central division for Lancashire County Council.

Coun Askew, while working for Forest of Dean Tory MP Mark Harper, will be contesting the Up Hatherley seat on Cheltenham Borough Council.

BLACKBURN WITH DARWEN

AUDLEY Ayaaz Diwan (Con), Zamir Khan (Lab) BASTWELL Mohammed Ayub (Con), Shaukat Hussain (Lab) Beardwood With Lammack Julie Daley (Con), Ehsan Raja (Lab), Jonathan Tranter (Green) CORPORATION PARK Mahmood Ahmed (Con), Iqbal Patel, Abdul Rehman (Lab), Sal Saleh EARCROFT Stephanie Rose Brookfield (Lab), Mark Peter Davies (Lib Dem), Lynn Perkins (Con), Stephen Francis Potter (For Darwen) EWOOD Jamie Groves (Lab), Joseph Smith (Con), FERNHURST Donald Scott McKinlay (Lab), John Slater (Con) HIGHER CROFT Paul David Marrow (Con), Dorothy Walsh (Lab) LITTLE HARWOOD Maureen McGarvey (Con), Abdul Patel (Lab) LIVESEY WITH PLEASINGTON Alan Cottam (Con), Annette Murphy (Lab) MARSH HOUSE Kevin Connor (Con), Tom Huw Evans (Lab), Simon Huggill (Lib Dem) (below) MEADOWHEAD Brian Gerard Gordon (Con), Ashley Richard Whalley (Lab) MILL HILL Alan Dean (Lib Dem), Annmarie Tolley (Con), Carol Walsh (Lab) NORTH TURNTON WITH TOCKHOLES Tim Oxley (Lab), Colin Rigby (Con) QUEEN'S PARK Imtiaz Ali (Con), Faryad Hussain (Lab) Roe Lee Michael Law-Riding (Con), Sylvia Liddle (Lab), Nancy Shaw (BNP) SHADSWORTH WITH WHITEBIRK David Bradley (BNP), David Coker (Con), Ron O'Keeffe (Lab) SHEAR BROW Sajid Ismail Adam (Con) , Nick Kennedy (Lib Dem), Solly Khonat (Lab) SUDELL Paul Browne (Lib Dem), David Robert Jackson (For Darwen), Ryan Slater (Con), Matt Worden (Lab) SUNNYHURST Brenda Cronshaw (Con), Pete Hollings (Lab), mark Westall (lib Dem) WENSLEY FOLD Asghar Ali (Con), Dave Harling (Lab) WHITEHALL Anna Brookfield (Lab), Karimeh Foster (Lib Dem), Neil Andrew Slater (Con )

HYNDBURN

ALTHAM Marion Raynor (Con), John Hodgkiss (Ind), Chris Fisher (Lab) BARNFIELD Tony Dobson (Con), Joyce Plumber (Lab), Richard Kelly (Lib Dem) BAXENDEN Terry Hurn (Con), David Gartley (Lab) CHURCH Malcolm Pritchard, Basharat Khan (Con), Joan Smith (Lab), Stephen Talbot (Lib Dem) NETHERTON Lynn Wilson (Con), Noordad Aziz (Lab) OVERTON John Duckworth, Peter Clarke (Con), Jamie Govier (Ind), Kerry-Anne Molineux (Lab), Graham Davidson (UKIP) PEEL Paul Brown (Ind), Wendy Dwyer (Lab) RISHTON Warren Melia (Con), Harry Grayson (Lab) SPRING HILL Mohammed Younis (Con), Kenneth Smith (Ind), Munsif Dad (Lab), Kim Furness (Lib Dem) ST ANDREW'S Brian Walmsley (Con), Bill Pinder (Lab) ST OSWALD'S Marlene Haworth (Con), Stewart Thurston Eaves (Lab), Paul Thompson (UKIP)

CHORLEY

ADLINGTON AND ANDERTON (two seats) Hayden James (UKIP); Mike Devaney (Con); Graham Dunn (Lab);Matthew Elliot (Con); Peter Wilson (Lab) Heath Charnock and Rivington Barbara Catterall (Con); Nigel Cecil (UKIP); Kim Snape (Lab) BRINDLE AND HOGHTON Chris Caton (Lab); David Dickinson (Con) CHORLEY EAST Julia Berry (Lab); Alan Leach (Green); Simon Parkinson (Con) CHORLEY NORTH EAST Stephen Cross (Green); Adrian Lowe (Lab); Sandra Mercer (Con); Tommy Shorrock (UKIP) CHORLEY NORTH WEST David Metcalfe (Con); Geoffrey O’Donoghue (Lab); Joyce Snape (Ind) CHORLEY SOUTH EAST Alistair Bradley (Lab); Sam Chapman (Con); Glynn Hughes (Ind); Alistair Straw (Green) CHORLEY SOUTH WEST Terry Cook (Con); Anthony Gee ( Lab) CLAYTON-LE-WOODS Jean Cronshaw (Lab); Alan Cullens (Con) COPPULL Robert Finnamore (Lab); Peter Malpas (Con); Stella Walsh (LD) ECCLESTON AND MAWDESLEY Henry Caunce (Con); Stanley Ely (Lab); Robert Keane (UKIP) EUXTON NORTH Danny Gee (Lab); Jeffrey Mallinson (UKIP); Debra Platt (Con) LOSTOCK John Dalton (Con); Alan Whittaker (Lab) CLAYTON-LE-WOODS AND WHITTLE-LE-WOODS Celine Maguire (Lab); John Walker (Con) WHEELTON AND WITHNELL Chris France (Lab); David Moran (Con)

BURNLEY

BANK HALL: Julie Cooper (Lab); Trevor Kirkham (LD) BRIERCLIFFE: Brian Cooper (Lab); Margaret Lishman (LD); Susan Nutter (Con) BRUNSHAW: Lian Pate (Lab); Linda White (LD) CLIVIGER WITH WORSTHORNE: Tom Commis (UKIP); Andrew Newhouse (Con); Paula Christine Riley (LD); Brian Tomlinson (Lab) COALCLOUGH WITH DEERPLAY: Charles Bullas (LD); Samuel McLachlan (Lab) DANESHOUSE WITH STONEYHOLME: Saeed Chaudhary (Lab); Mohammed Malik (LD) GANNOW: Justin Birtwistle (LD); Derek Dawson (BNP); Betsy Stringer (Lab) GAWTHORPE: David Carter (LD); John Cave (BNP); Andy Tatchell (Lab) HAPTON WITH PARK: Jonathan Barker (Lab); Stuart Leyland (LD); Sharon Wilkinson (BNP) LANEHEAD: Bill Brindle (LD); Stephen Large (Lab); Michael McHugh (UKIP); Philip Nutter (Con) QUEENSGATE: Martyn Hurt (LD); Arif Khan (Lab) ROSEGROVE WITH LOWERHOUSE: Lynne Briggs (LD); Marcus Johnstone (Lab); Paul McDevitt (BNP) ROSEHILL WITH BURNLEY WOOD: Paul Campbell (Lab); Karen Heseltine (LD); Craig Ramplee (UKIP) TRINITY: Stephanie Forrest (LD); Tony Lambert (Lab); John Rowe (BNP) WHITTLEFIELD WITH IGHTENHILL: Kathryn Haworth (LD); Matthew Isherwood (Con); Janice Swainston (Lab); Christopher Vanns (BNP)

PENDLE

BARROWFORD: Anthony Beckett (Con); Sue Nike (Lab) BOULSWORTH (two seats): David Foat (Lab); Margaret Foxley (Con); Heather Greaves (LD); Rowen Hartley-Fish (Green); Julian Jordan (Lab); John Rowe (BNP); Mary Thomas (LD) BRADLEY: Shoaib Ahmed (LD); Timothy Eyre (Con); Stuart Oxbrow (Green); Mohammed Sakib (Lab) BRIERFIELD: Naeem Hussain (Lab); Jack Gregory (Con) CLOVER HILL: Eileen Ansar (Lab); Philip Berry (LD); Veronica Cullen (BNP); Janice Taylor (Con) COATES: Marjorie Adams (LD); Keith Bailey (Con); Christopher McKimm (Lab) CRAVEN: Dorothy Baxter (UKIP); Ken Hartley (LD); David Johns (Lab); Suzanne Langtree (Con) EARBY: Rosemary Carroll (Con); Doris Haigh (LD); James Jackman (Eng Democrat); Robert Oliver (Lab) HORSFIELD: Smith Benson (Con); Tony Hargreaves (Lab); James Kerrigan (LD) MARSDEN: Azhar Ali (Lab); Tommy Cooney (Con); Adam Grant (BNP) REEDLEY: Tonia Barton (Con); Mohammed Hanif (Lab); James Wood (LD) SOUTHFIELD: Abubaker Anwar (LD): Paul Pratt (Con); Sheila Wicks (Lab) VIVARY BRIDGE: Glennda Clegg (LD); Leah Jamieson (Green); Ian Tweedie (Lab); Keith Wilkinson (Con) WALVERDEN: Abdul Aziz (Lab); Neil McGowan (Con) WATERSIDE: Ian Graham (Lab); Tony Greaves (LD); David Penney (Green); Geoffrey Riley (Con); Gary Toppping (Dem Nat)

ROSSENDALE

CRIBDEN: Andrea Fletcher (Lab); Graham Fox (LD); Sandra McWicker (Con) EDEN: Janice Johnson (Lab); Darryl Smith (Con) FACIT AND SHAWFORTH: Lynda Barnes (Con); Madeline De Souza (Ind); Lesley Ham (LD) GOODSHAW: Dean Bartlett-Smith (Con) Dorothy Farrington (Lab) GREENFIELD: Susan McLaughlin (Lab); Gladys Sandiford (Con) GREENSCLOUGH: Barbara Ashworth (Lab); Judith Driver (Con); Bill Jackson (LD) HAREHOLME: Caroline Bleakley (Lab); Joseph Donnelly (LD); Michael Pickup (Con) HELMSHORE: Peter Evans (Con); Vernon Hudson (Ind); John McManus (Lab) IRWELL: Kevin Bryan (Nat Front); Steve Hughes (Lab); Hazel Steen (Con) LONGHOLME: Mohammed Abdullah (Con); Roy Knowles (Lab); Clive Laight (LD) WHITEWELL: Karen Creaser (Lab); Tim Nuttall (LD); Peter Steen (Con) WORSLEY: Granville Barker (UKIP); Marilyn Procter (Lab); David Stansfield (Con)

CALDERDALE

TODMORDEN: Ian Cooper (Con); Olwen Jennings (LD); David Jones (BPP) John Nesbitt (Green); Steve Sweeney (Lab) CALDER: Janet Battye (LD); Gail Lund (Con); Susan Press (Lab); Kate Sweeney (Green)

BURY

NORTH MANOR: Ewan Arthur (LD); Dorothy Gunther (Con); Glyn Heath (Green); Steven Treadgold (Lab) RAMSBOTTOM: Julian Corden (UKIP); Wilf Davison (LD); Luise Fitzwalter (Lab); Barry Theckston (Con)