VOTERS are getting set to go to the polls to select their new representatives at County Hall.

Five major political parties will contest every seat in Tendring at the county council elections on May 4.

The Conservatives, Labour, Ukip, Lib Dems and the Green party are each fielding candidates in all eight wards.

Six of Tendring’s seats are currently held by the Tories. Labour’s Ivan Henderson holds the Harwich ward and Holland Residents’ Association’s Colin Sargeant hopes to retain his Clacton East seat.

Conservative candidate Paul Honeywood said the Tories are working to provide better transport links and are promising to provide better care for the elderly.

He said: “Improved transport links are needed so people can commute to work and so visitors can travel here to enjoy our coast and spend their money.

“More than £680million has been spent on improving transport links and more has secured for investment for A120 - we would like to see even more investment in the A12.

“People are living longer than ever before and we will be looking to provide better care for older people to help and support them in later life – and to help them live independently.

“We have also campaigned for our district’s minor injuries units to remain open and are waiting for the outcome of the local Clinical Commissioning Group’s decision.”

Norman Jacobs, spokesman for the Clacton Labour Party, said: “We want there to be a strong Labour presence at County Hall so we can fight to keep public services, which have been cut in recent years.

“We are campaigning to stop cuts to education and to provide more resources and we would also want to use the position at county to put pressure on the Government and local health authorities to keep local health services, especially our minor injuries units.”

Ukip candidate Mark Stephenson said: “Residents want better representation at county level and only Ukip can truly offer this.

“Under the Tory watch our roads are gone, street lights gone, GPs gone - the only thing that hasn’t gone is our council tax.”

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Liberal Democrat candidate Gary Scott said his party is campaigning for improvements in social care and highways.

He added: “With uncertainty over Labour and Ukip on a national level, people are looking at the Liberal Democrats in a new light.”

Tendring First, which fought every ward in the 2013 county elections, is fielding just one candidate.

Polls in the constituency will be seen as a barometer of Ukip’s popularity in the run-up to the snap General Election on June 8.

The Tories currently control County Hall with 44 of the 75 seats.

  • The full list of candidates:

Brightlingsea

Frank Belgrove (Lab), Alan Goggin (Con)*, Bev Maltby (Green), Gary Scott (Lib Dem), Ben Smith (Ukip)

Clacton East

Chris Amos (Con), Sally McAteer (Green), Robert Porter (Lab), Colin Sargeant (Ind)*, Kane Silver (Lib Dem), Mark Stephenson (Ukip)

Clacton North

Samantha Atkinson (Lab), Barrie Coker (Lib Dem), David Davis (Green), Andrew Pemberton (Ukip), Andy Wood (Con)*

Clacton West

Dan Casey (Lab), Sean Duffy (Lib Dem), Paul Honeywood (Con)*, Steven Kelly (Green), Roy Raby (Ukip)

Frinton and Walton

Terry Allen (Tendring First), Simon Banks (Lib Dem), Susan Clutterbuck (Green), Richard Everett (Ukip), Mark Platt (Con), Andy White (Lab)

Harwich

Owen Bartholomew (Lib Dem), Ricky Callender (Con), Paul Clutterbuck (Green), Aaron Hammond (Ukip), Ivan Henderson (Lab)*

Tendring Rural East

Matthew Bensilum (LibDm), Jeff Bray (Ukip), Andy Erskine (Con)*, Maria Fowler (Lab), Chris Southall (Green)

Tendring Rural West

Duncan Gordon (Green), Carlo Guglielmi (Con)*, Mary Newton (Ukip), Maison Urwin (Lab), Rain Welham-Cobb (Lib Dem)

* Denotes sitting councillor