North Northamptonshire Council candidates with family members, couples, old stagers and newbies hoping for your vote this May

In its first four year term many NNC seats were mostly filled with councillors who had served in all five legacy councils – Kettering, Corby and Wellingborough Borough, East Northants District Councils as well the disbanded ‘bankrupt’ Northamptonshire County Council.

Many long-serving councillors have chosen to step down, others are standing in unfamiliar areas and a large number of new ‘hopefuls’ have put their hats into the political ring.

We’ve had a look at the runners and riders in the council seat race with 68 seats up for grabs across 31 different wards.

Keep it in the family – couples, partners and family ties

With so many meetings on the agenda for any serving councillor, some may decide the only way they get to see their family is by joining them in the council chamber.

NNC has had a number of councillors in relationships and those with family links.

David and Wendy Brackenbury (Con) will stand in Thrapston, Gill Mercer and husband Andy Mercer (Con) will stand in Pemberton and Rushden Lakes respectively. Current NNC deputy leader Helen Howell and Lee Wilkes (Con) will stand in their home town Raunds. Moving from their usual Wellingborough stamping ground will be Lora and Graham Lawman (Con) from Wellingborough who will be standing in Corby’s Oakley ward.

Partners Martin Shepherd and Charlotte Daly (Lab) will stand in the Ise ward in Kettering, significant others Dez Dell and Polly Shackleton (Green) will stand in Kettering North and St Michael respectively.

Current NNC councillors for Labour in Corby, Lyn Buckingham will stand in Oakley – moving across town from Lloyds – and daughter Leanne in Kingswood. Father and daughter John and Zoe McGhee (Lab) are both standing in Corby’s Kingswood ward.

Green councillor Emily Fedorowycz who is standing in Kettering North has both of her parents on the ballot for Wellingborough seats – dad Neil in Brickhill and Queensway and mum Marnie in Hatton Park.

Green James Towns joins his parents on the ballot – he is standing in Kettering Central, his mother Vivien is standing in Kingswood and father Peter in Oakley.

A third family of Green candidates are the Robinsons – dad Francis standing in Irthlingborough with daughters Liane and Linda Robinson standing in Kettering Central and Rushden South.

Married couple Kettering writer Julia Thorley and activist husband Clive Thorley (Green) will stand in Oundle and Rothwell & Mawsley respectively.

Green candidate numbers have been boosted by another married couple – Mar Mannion (Rushden Lakes) and Paul Mannion (Croyland and Swanspool).

Uncle and nephew David Howes and Harry Howes – one of the youngest candidates at the age of 23 – (Con) are standing in Desborough.

Hoping to join NNC’s Labour group is Neil Rielly on the ballot paper for Desborough, his brother Simon Rielly, stands in Oakley.

Former Labour Mayor of Corby Gail McDade has been joined on the campaign trail by son Paddy – she will stand in Earls Barton, her son in Irchester – as well as her sister Stevie Cassidy who will contest Rushden Lakes.

Connected by different relationship are Jennie Bone (Con) and Helen Harrison (Con) – one the ex-wife of disgraced MP Peter Bone, the other the current partner.

Ms Bone is standing in Higham Ferrers whilst Ms Harrison, a veteran of three general election campaigns, hopes to be elected to represent Oundle.

Chain gang members who hope to return

Elections will bring a new slew of councillors – some have been honoured to represent various town councils as the mayor, or hope to, if re-elected.

‘Chain gang’ members include current Corby Mayor Willie Colqhoun (Lab) in Corby West, Mayor of Wellingborough Jon-Paul Carr (Con) in Irchester, and Mayor elect of Kettering Alex Evelyn (Con) in Barton Seagrave and Burton Latimer. Outgoing Mayor of Rothwell will be busy if elected for Rothwell & Mawsley, he’s also on the ballot for Rothwell Town Council and Kettering Town Council.

Independents – no party allegiances

A total of ten independent candidates will be standing in the NNC vote.

Leading the way is Jim Hakewill standing in Rothwell & Mawsley. He has been a stalwart of local politics and there’s no love lost between him and former colleagues in the Conservatives, a party he left in 2017.

Hoping to step up from her role on Wellingborough Town Council is campaigning councillor Marion Turner-Hawes standing in Victoria ward.

Other independent candidates are Gary Campbell in Corby Kingswood, Derek Hilling in Kettering North, Stuart Nethercott in St Peter, Kettering, Allan Shipham in Brickhill and Queensway, Wellingborough, Gordon Kerr in Irchester and serial election veteran Jehad Aburamadan standing in Kettering Central – he has championed the spectrum of politics over the years. Voters in Higham Ferrers have a choice of two independents – Jay Connolly and Peter Tomas.

Reform

For the first time, Reform UK will field candidates in every seat. The party currently has four councillors. Martin Griffiths moved from the Conservatives via sitting as an independent to join Nigel Farage’s turquoise wave. Joining him are other Tory switchers – Jan O’Hara (Barton Seagrave and Burton Latimer), Ken Harrington (Hatton Park), and Kirk Harrison (Raunds).

Others in the running

Other highlights will be several newcomers – performance poet Kezzabelle Ambler (Green) in Irthlingborough, former Made with Many arts supremo Helen Willmott (Lab) in Higham Ferrers,

Veterans returning to the hustings are – Liberal Democrat veteran Chris Stanbra back for more in Corby’s Oakley ward, Lesley Thurland (Con) hoping to to be elected in Kettering Central.

Steven North, former leader of East Northants District Council is standing again to represent the Conservative party, this time in Rushden South. This time standing as ‘Steve’, Cllr North has been unable to attend three-quarters of his scheduled meetings due to illness.

And those who are not standing again for re-election

Several big players on the local political scene have chosen to stand down.

Colourful and shoot from the hip Leader of NNC Jason Smithers (Con) remains in charge of the Conservative group until a leader is chosen by the new cohort – he will then bow out into ‘semi-retirement’.

Other Tories standing down are Tim Allebone, Mark Dearing, Russell Roberts, NNC front bencher Harriet Pentland and Norfolk-based Clive Hallam who attended all full councils meetings as promised despite living away.

Opposition councillors calling it a day are Alison Dalziel, Peter McEwan, David Sims from Corby, and Kettering colleagues Anne Lee and Keli Watts.

Also out is former Conservative Matt Binley who announced he would not be standing after colleagues heard details of historic sexual allegations.

Voters will go to the polls in just a few weeks on Thursday, May 1 for two sets of elections will take place that day - for North Northants Council (NNC) as well as town and parish council seats.