Ipswich is the only Suffolk council to have widespread elections this May with just over a third up for election.

Each of the 16 wards has one seat up for grabs and there are also by-elections in Priory Heath and St Johns Wards caused by the resignation of Daniel Maguire and the death of Sophie Connolly earlier this year.

These seats were last contested in 2021 which was the first election after the pandemic - and when the Conservatives did very well across the country.

In that election they won seats in seven wards - but in the last two years Labour have been dominant in local elections in Ipswich.

Three of the seven Conservative councillors elected in 2021 have since left the party.

Gainsborough councillor Shane Pooley left the Tories after supporting social media posts backing President Putin after the invasion of Ukraine. He is now standing as an independent.

Sprites Councillor Steve Flood has been sitting as an Independent after he came under fire for supporting social media posts seen as Islamaphobic.

And Tony Gould who won Whitton as a Tory in 2021 is now standing in the ward for Reform UK - he had been UKIP candidate for Ipswich in the 2017 general election.

Labour is hoping to win the only seats they don't already hold in the Gainsborough, Holywells, Sprites and Whitton wards and go from one to two seats in Stoke Park.  

On a very good day they may have designs on Castle Hill - but that hasn't returned a Labour councillor since the 1990s.

The Liberal Democrats have candidates standing in every ward - but their efforts will be concentrated on St Margarets which they have built into something of a fortress and Oliver Holmes is now well-established in the seat.

The Green Party is contesting every ward - but have never won a seat in Ipswich and, as well as Mr Gould in Whitton, Reform UK are contesting a few other wards.

Given recent opinion polls and the results of the canvassing Labour appear to be entering this election campaign with greater confidence than the

Candidates:

Alexandra: Adam Rae*(L), Katherine West (C), Kelly Turner (LD), David Plowman (G).

Bixley: Lee Reynold*(C), Paul Anderson (L). Lisa Weichert (LD), Stephanie Cullen (G).

Bridge: Bryony Rudkin*(L), John Downie (C), Sophie Williams (LD), Adria Pittock (G), Catherine Kersey (RUK).

Castle Hill: Ian Fisher*(C), Kim Cook(L), Martin Pakes (LD), Richard Foster (G).

Gainsborough: Shane Pooley*(Ind), James Whatling (L), Albert Demaj(C), Amy Bendall(LD), Robert Young(G), John Beard(RUK).

Gipping: David Ellesmere*(L), Rhys Ellis(C), Gerald Pryke(LD), Lee Morris(G).

Holywells: Pippa Gordon-Gould*(C), Nic El-Safty(L), Robert Chambers(LD), Rory Richardson-Todd(G).

Priory Heath (two seats): Roxanne Downes*(L), Owen Bartholomew(L), Robert Hall(C), Michael Scanes(C), Conrad Packwood(LD0, Andy Patmore(G), Tom Wilmot(G).

Rushmere: Alasdair Ross*(L), Debbie Richards(C), Lucy Drake(LD), Rachel Morris(G), Timothy Hawke(RUK).

Sprites: Sian Gubb(C), Philip McSweeney(L), Robin Whitmore(LD), Martin Hynes(G).

St Johns (two seats): Neil MacDonnald*(L), Corinna Hudson(L), Tim Buttle(C), Stephen Ion(C), Giles Turner(LD). Jude Rook(G).

St Margarets: Oliver Holmes*(LD), Sheila Handley(L), Laura Allenby(C), Kirsty Wilmot(G).

Stoke Park: James Harding(C), Chu Man(L), Henry Williams(LD), Barry Broom(G).

Westgate: Carole Jones*(L), Stephen Kirby(C), Martin Hore(LD), John Mann(G).

Whitehouse: Tracy Grant*(L), Mark Phillips(C), Immo Weichert(LD), Sue Hagley(G), David Hurlbut(RUK).

Whitton: Tony Gould*(RUK), Patricia Bruce-Browne(L), David Goldsmith(C), Nicholas Jacob(LD), Jason Williams(G).

Key: L - Labour, C - Conservative, LD - Liberal Democrat, G - Green, RUK - Reform UK, Ind - Independent. *denotes sitting councillor (not necessarily for the same party they were originally elected).