List of council election candidates for Watford & Three Rivers

The 2021 elections have been given the go-ahead this year and a third of seats at Watford Borough Council and Three Rivers District Council, which were supposed to be contested last year, will be decided on May 6.

There will also be a by-election to fill a vacant seat in Bushey for Hertsmere Borough Council, while a full set of Hertfordshire County Council elections are also taking place on the 6th.

See more: Full list of Hertfordshire County Council candidates for our area

Borough councils are responsible for a number of services, including planning, housing, waste collection, environmental health, parking, and parks.

We’ve rounded up a list of candidates vying for a spot on our local borough councils.

Watford

A third of seats in Watford are up for election, with 13 seats to be filled in total across the town’s 12 wards.

The Watford Liberal Democrats hold a majority in the town but the party has been hit by a spate of resignations and allegations in recent weeks.

Councillors Keith Crout and Maggie Parker have left the Lib Dems to form their own Independent party, while Jane Johnson has left the council altogether.

Cllr Crout told the Observer he had quit due to "the conduct of the local party and its treatment of fellow councillors".

Serving Lib Dem councillors Iain Sharpe, Karen Collett – who is group leader – Kareen Hastrick, Derek Scudder, and Stephen Bolton will not be re-standing.

Among serving Lib Dem councillors standing again are Mark Watkin, a member of the mayor’s Cabinet, and Peter Jeffree, who is chairman of the planning committee.

Watford Labour group leader Nigel Bell is the most high-profile Labour candidate up for election next month, with the party hoping to improve on the ten seats it currently holds.

Mo Mills and Sohail Bashir will not be re-standing.

Despite being represented by a Conservative MP, there are currently no Tory councillors in Watford.

Full list of Watford Borough Council election candidates – (two seats are to be filled in Nascot ward after the resignation of Jane Johnson).

Callowland

Joe Inniss (Liberal Democrats)

Mary Sackett (Conservative)

Dennis Watling (Labour)

Central

Sophia Demetriou Jones (Labour)

Marilyn Devonish (Liberal Democrats)

Cole Parker (Conservative)

Dennis Wharton (Independent)

Holywell

Nigel Bell (Labour)

Ian Fox (Conservative)

Simonie Jeffree (Liberal Democrats)

Mark O’Connor (Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts)

Leggatts

Shafiq Ahmed (Lib Democrats)

Derek Foster (Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts)

Anthony Parker (Conservatives)

Richard Smith (Labour)

Meriden

Prashanth Elangovan (Conservative)

Pete Hannon (Liberal Democrats)

Felix Tyszkiewicz (Labour)

Nascot

Sarah Flynn (Labour)

Ravi Kura (Conservative)

Binita Mehta-Parmar (Conservative)

Tom Osborn (Liberal Democrats)

Edward Tunnah (Labour)

Mark Watkin (Liberal Democrats)

Oxhey

Karen Clarke-Taylor (Liberal Democrats)

Joseph Gornicki (Conservative)

Sue Sleeman (Labour)

Neal Webber (Reform UK)

Park

Nabila Ahmed (Labour)

Peter Jeffree (Liberal Democrats)

Linda Topping (Conservative)

Stanborough

Nevin Atasoy (Labour)

Simon Feldman (Liberal Democrats)

Peter Williams (Conservative)

Tudor

Carly Bishop (Conservative)

Darren Walford (Liberal Democrats)

Seamus Williams (Labour)

Vicarage

Abbas Merali (Conservative)

Dan Thurlow (Liberal Democrats)

Sara Jane Trebar (Labour)

Woodside

Malcolm Bush (Labour)

Amarish Patel (Conservative)

Ann Saffery (Liberal Democrats)

Three Rivers

Like Watford, a third of Three Rivers District Council is up for election.

The Liberal Democrats also control Three Rivers but the majority is five, with the Conservatives providing the main opposition in the district, along with three Labour councillors and three Independents.

Notable candidates up for election including deputy leader of the district council, Stephen Giles-Medhurst, and five of the council’s lead members; Matthew Bedford, Chris Lloyd, Andres Scarth, Roger Seabourne, and Phil Williams.

Full list of Three Rivers district council candidates

Abbots Langley & Bedmond

Matthew Bedford (Liberal Democrats)

Helena Farrington (Labour)

Andrew O’Brien (Conservative)

Michael Rayment (Green)

Carpenders Park

David Coltman (Conservative)

Geoff Dunne (Liberal Democrats)

Kelsey Trevett (Green)

Kajalbala Usadadiya (UK VOICE safer and stronger UK)

William Waite (Labour)

Chorleywood North & Sarratt

Margaret Gallagher (Labour)

Peter Loader (Green)

Ciaran Reed (Conservative)

Ben Trevett (Liberal Democrats)

David Zerny (Independent)

Chorleywood South & Maple Cross

Philip Hearn (Conservative)

Iain Roden (Labour)

Roger Stafford (Green)

Phil Williams (Liberal Democrats)

Dickinsons

Rupert Barnes (Conservative)

Chris Mitchell (Green Party Save Our Green Space)

Paul Rainbow Liberal Democrats)

Jeni Swift Gillett (Labour)

Durrants

Andrew Gallagher (Green Party Save Our Green Space)

John Grillo (Labour)

Chris Lloyd (Liberal Democrats)

Tony Walker (Conservative)

Gade Valley

Emma Brading (Green)

Matthew Cawthorne (Conservative)

Ruth Clark (Liberal Democrats)

Belinda Phipps (Independent)

Darren Steer (Labour)

Leavesden

Stephen Giles-Medhurst (Liberal Democrats)

Marie-Louise Nolan (Labour)

Bruce Perry (Green)

Hitesh Tailor (Conservative)

Moor Park & Eastbury

Jerry Asquith (Liberal Democrats)

Deesha Chandra (Green)

Paul Gordon (Labour)

Debbie Morris (Conservative)

Oxhey Hall & Hayling

Mary Chabrel (Green)

George Hallam-Attree (Conservative)

Clare Leahy (Labour

Andrew Scarth (Liberal Democrats)

Penn & Mill End

Di Barber (Conservative)

Colin Gray (Labour)

Alfie Roberts (Green)

Roger Seabourne (Liberal Democrats)

Rickmansworth Town

Lisa Hudson (Conservative)

Dmitri Macmillen (Green)

Charlotte Smith (Labour)

Tom Smith (Liberal Democrats)

South Oxhey

Joan King (Labour)

Chris Lawrence (Green)

Daniel Oakey (Conservative)

Richard Shattock - (Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts)

Rhys Southall (Liberal Democrats)

Hertsmere

A by-election is taking place in Bushey following the resignation of Liberal Democrat Andrew Melville earlier this year.

Conservative candidate Jane West is looking to win the seat she lost to the Liberal Democrats in 2019 back.

Full list of Bushey North candidates

Bushey North

John Barratt (Labour)

Alan Matthews (Liberal Democrats)

Jane West (Conservative)

Matt Wheeler (Green)