THE NEWEST political party in Basingstoke will field candidates in all but one of the town wards at the upcoming county council elections – but its name will not be appearing on ballot papers.

Basingstoke First Community Party (BFCP), which was formed in March after co-founders and borough councillors Phil and Christine Heath split from the Conservative Party last year, will have five candidates out on the stump wearing lilac rosettes and putting forward an agenda focused on town issues.

Cllr Phil Heath, the party’s one sitting county councillor, said: “We are in this to win this. We are in this to make a difference.”

However BFCP candidates already face an extra obstacle because they will be fighting for votes without the party name appearing on the ballot paper. Cllr Heath claimed the situation had arisen due to a mix-up with the electoral commission.

Cllr Heath will face a tough fight to retain his Basingstoke South West county seat.

The Tories have put up experienced borough councillor Rita Burgess in a bid to regain the seat they held until Cllr Phil Heath was expelled from the Conservatives following an alleged dispute with a party worker.

Labour and the Liberal Democrats have also selected borough councillors Paul Frankum and Kevin Harkess, respectively, to contest the seat.

A major battle is likely in Basingstoke Central, where sitting councillor, Labour’s Jo Kelly, is not standing this time.

Labour has selected borough councillor Sean Keating to try to hold the seat but the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats scent a win with Labour struggling nationally. They have put up Paul Miller and Ron Hussey respectively, while BFCP candidate Brooke Burkitt rounds off the nominees.

In Whitchurch and Clere division, Conservative councillor John Maxwell is standing down. The Tories have put forward Tom Thacker for the seat, but the Liberal Democrats have borough councillor Keith Watts challenging him. The other candidates are Labour’s Criss Connor and George Garton, of the United Kingdom Independence Party.

Liberal Democrat Warwick Lovegrove, who sensationally lost his borough council seat last year while borough mayor, is attempting to defeat Marilyn Tucker, the sitting Tory county councillor for Tadley and Baughurst division. The other challenger is Labour’s Rick Dady.

British National Party candidates are among the challengers to sitting Odiham Conservative councillor Jonathan Glen, Conservative, and sitting Hartley Wintney, Eversley and Yateley West Liberal Democrat councillor David Simpson.

The county council elections will be held on June 4.

Hampshire County Council election - candidates and party by electoral division (* denotes sitting candidate):

Basingstoke Central
Brooke Burkitt – Basingstoke First Community Party
Ronald Hussey – Liberal Democrat
Sean Keating – Labour Party
Paul Miller – Conservative Party

Basingstoke North
Christopher Aldous – Conservative Party
Rebecca Butcher – Basingstoke First Community Party
Jane Frankum* – Labour Party
Janice Spalding – Liberal Democrat

Basingstoke North West
Michael Berwick-Gooding – Liberal Democrat
Christine Heath – Basingstoke First Community Party
Andy McCormick – Labour Party
Stephen Reid* – Conservative Party

Basingstoke South East
Brian Gurden* – Liberal Democrat
Nalin Jayawardena – Conservative Party
Mike Stockwell – Labour Party

Basingstoke South West
Rita Burgess – Conservative Party
Paul Frankum – Labour Party
Kevin Harkess – Liberal Democrat
Philip Heath* – Basingstoke First Community Party

Calleva and Kingsclere
Keith Chapman* – Conservative Party
Steve Rothman – Labour Party
Roger Ward – Liberal Democrat

Candovers
Susan Dady – Labour Party
Anna McNair Scott* – Conservative Party
Jeff Teagle – Liberal Democrat
Ian Tilbury – Independent

Hartley Wintney, Eversley and Yateley West
Geoffrey Crompton – British National Party
Sara Kinnell – Conservative Party
Roger Robertson – Independent
David Simpson* – Liberal Democrat
Joyce Still – Labour Party

Loddon
Stephen Day – Liberal Democrat
Alex MacDonald – Basingstoke First Community Party
Colin Regan – Labour Party
Elaine Still* – Conservative Party

Odiham
Sean Clarke – Labour Party
Graham Cockarill – Liberal Democrat
Jonathan Glen – Conservative Party
Jerry Owen – British National Party

Tadley and Baughurst
Rick Dady – Labour Party
Warwick Lovegrove – Liberal Democrat
Marilyn Tucker* – Conservative Party

Whitchurch and Clere
Criss Connor – Labour Party
George Garton – United Kingdom Independence Party
Tom Thacker – Conservative Party
Keith Watts – Liberal Democrat

Hart District Council by-election:
Eversley
Geoffrey Crompton – British National Party
Janet Maughan – Conservative Party
Philip Todd – Independent