First unitary council candidates announced in Corby

The three Conservative candidates for Corby rural ward have been announced.

Elections will be held for the county's new unitary authorities in May. Corby, East Northants, Wellingborough and Northamptonshire councils will all be scrapped from next year and will be replaced with a north northants unitary authority.

A shadow authority will be elected this May to begin preparations for when the unitary council takes over in a year's time. The shadow authority will operate alongside the existing borough and county councils.

The wards will be split along the same boundaries as the present county council wards. Currently there is one councillor representing each ward on the county council. The unitary authority will have three councillors per ward.

The present Corby rural county councillor is Sandra Naden-Horley who sits in Northamptonshire County Council's cabinet - the decision-making body made up of its senior leaders. She will not be on the ballot for the unitary authority.

The Conservative members standing for election are present Corby borough councillor David Sims, a former leader of the opposition, and Cllr Kevin Watt, the borough's current leader of the opposition. Joining them in standing for election is youngster Macaulay Nichol who campaigned for MP Tom Pursglove during December's election.

Labour are in the process of appointing their candidates. The Liberal Democrats have not yet publicly announced their candidates. There are also expected to be a number of independent candidates, as well as those from smaller political parties.