EVERYTHING is up for grabs in Pendle as all its 12 new wards are up for election in May 6.

The controversial Conservative-inspired changes to the borough's political map saw the number of councillors cut from the current 49 to 33.

The number of wards was reduced from 17 to 12 meaning that how the party cards will fall on polling day is a real guessing game.

Despite the controversy over the redrawn political map, the election will be overshadowed by the sudden death last month of veteran Liberal Democrat strategist Lord Tony Greaves.

The general view is that the new wards will be largely neutral.

The largest group is the Conservatives with 20 councillors while Labour has 15, the Liberal Democrats nine and while former Tory Ken Turner now sits an Independent.

There are four vacancies including Lord Greaves in Colne's Waterside ward.

A total of 86 candidates are fighting the elections - mainly from the main three parties with two independents - Mr Turner in Barrowford and Pendleside and Craig McBeth in Waterside and Horsfield.

The Green Party has a single candidate Annette Marti in Whitefield and Walverden.

LibDem leader David Whipp said: "It is not going to be the same without Tony, both for the party and the borough. He was the collective memory of Pendle Council.

"We hope to win 13 seats - six each in our strong areas of Colne and West Craven with hopefully the single member ward of Fence and Higham coming our way."

His party's platform of 'six to fix' covers road repairs, lower council tax, policing improvements, keeping Pendle council's independence, the environment and regeneration.

Tory group leader Nadeem Ahmed said: "We are going for an overall majority.

"Our policies focus on getting the local economy going and supporting businesses after Covid-19 as well helping young people and getting people back out enjoying themselves."

Labour boss Mohammed Iqbal - who has led a shared administration with the LibDems since 2019 - said: "I am hopeful that voters will appreciate we have run an efficient council in the face of savage Tory cuts. We have always put front line services first and I hope they will allow us to continue to do so.

"I don't think anybody is going to win a majority."

The truth is none of them have the faintest idea what is going to happen on polling day - or who will run the council afterwards.