A THIRD of Stevenage Borough Council seats will be contested in today's election (Thursday).

In what is a Labour stronghold, only two of the seats available are currently held by non-Labour party members. Red and Blue are represented in all 13 wards, as are UKIP, while the Lib Dems have 11 candidates and the Trade Unionists & Socialists Against Cuts have five members standing.

Three current Labour incumbents, Michael Patston (Martins Wood), Michael Downing (Old Town) and Bruce Jackson (Pin Green) are stepping down this year.

Bandley Hill: Angela Denness (UKIP), Sharon Hearn (Con), Jackie Hollywell (Lab), Mark Pickersgill (Trade Unionists & Socialists Against Cuts), Barbara Segadelli (Lib Dem)

Bedwell: Ian Cropton (Green), Steve Glennon (Trade Unionists & Socialists Against Cuts), Liz Harrington (Lab), Sean Howlett (UKIP), Ellin Joseph (Con)

Chells: Howard Burrell (Lab), Tim Neale (Lib Dem), Rachalle Sainsbury (UKIP), Mathew Wyatt (Con)

Longmeadow: Ralph Baskerville (Lib Dem), Michelle Calcutt (Con), Monika Cherney-Craw (Lab), Vicky Gabriel (UKIP), Helen Kerr (Trade Unionists & Socialists Against Cuts)

Manor: Robin Parker (Lib Dem), Julie Seddon (UKIP), Joseph Sherry (Lab), Susan Smith (Con)

Martins Wood: Kevin Aylward (Lib Dem), Pat Jones (UKIP), Sarah Walker (Lab), Bill Whelan (Con)

Old Town: Catherine Bibby (Con), Bernard Maddox (UKIP), Mathew Snell (Lib Dem), Hugh Tessier (Lab)

Pin Green: Scott Copsey (Lib Dem), Kevin Flavell (UKIP), Ted Jones (Con), Jeannette Thomas (Lab)

Roebuck: Bryan Clare (Trade Unionists & Socialists Against Cuts), John Gardner (Lab), Harvey Page (Con), Roy Worden (UKIP)

Shephall: Nicholas Baskerville (Lib Dem), Barbara Clare (Trade Unionists & Socialists Against Cuts), Maureen Dilley (UKIP), Anita Speight (Con), Ann Webb (Lab)

St Nicholas: Gillian Mould (Con), Ken Neal (UKIP), Ralph Raynor (Lab), Heather Snell (Lib Dem)

Symonds Green: Clive Hearmon (Lib Dem), David Kissane (Lab), Carol Knowles (UKIP), Paul Mould (Con)

Woodfield: Graham Clarke (Con), Katherine Lloyd-Manning (Lib Dem), Marion Mason (UKIP), Stephen Pattison (Lab)