A third of the seats on Ipswich Borough Council are up for grabs in this year’s local election – one seat in each of the 16 wards across the town.

The overall shape of the council after the election is more or less a foregone conclusion because Labour has an unassailable majority – it holds 34 seats on the borough with the Conservatives holding 12 and the Liberal Democrats two.

This year’s election is a repeat of the poll in 2015 which was a very good year for the Conservatives. The election that year was held on the same day as the General Election which ensured the parties got more voters out than normal for a local election.

The Conservatives did well in seats where they have sometimes struggled like Whitton, Rushmere and St Margaret’s – and much of their effort will be devoted to hanging out to what they already hold.

Erion Xhaferaj who won Whitton, normally a Labour seat, in 2015 has now moved to the safer Castle Hill seat where long-serving councillor David Goldsmith is standing down.

There are also likely to be tough contests in Holywells and Stoke Park where senior Tories Liz Harsant and Bob Hall are defending seats in wards where Labour already hold seats.

Labour sees this year as an opportunity to further gains on the council – while the Liberal Democrats will be concentrating their efforts on winning back the only seat in St Margaret’s ward that they don’t already hold.

Ipswich candidates:

Alexandra Ward: Jane Riley* (L), Katherine West (C), Henry Williams (LD), Tom Wilmot (G)

Bixley Ward: Paul Anderson (L), Richard Pope* (C), Robert Chambers (LD), Lesley Packwood (G).

Bridge Ward: Phil Smart* (L), Murray Brunning (C), Immo Weighert (LD), Charlotte Armstrong (G), Catherine Kersey (UKIP).

Castle Hill Ward: John Harris (L), Erion Xhaferaj* (C), Sophie Williams (LD).

Gainsborough Ward: Martin Cook* (L), Josh Owens (C), Robin Whitmore (LD), Brieanna Patmore (G), Shayne Pooley (UKIP).

Gipping Ward: Peter Gardiner* (L), Paul Cawthorn (C), Gerald Pryke (LD), Nigel Storey (G), Karl Pickering (UKIP).

Holywells Ward: Ali Shofik (L), Liz Harsant* (C), Paul Daley (LD), Jenny Rivett (G).

Priory Heath Ward: Luke Richardson (L), Samantha Murray (C), Lucy Drake (LD), Andy Patmore (G), Chris Newbury (Ind).

Rushmere Ward: Kelvin Cracknell (L), Stephen Ion* (C), Nicholas Jacob (LD), Lee Morris (G).

Sprites Ward: Jennifer Smith (L), Mike Scanes (C), Conrad Packwood (LD), Adria Pittock (G), Julie Hassell (UKIP).

St John’s Ward: Shelly Darwin* (L), Mark Phillips (C), Edward Packard (LD), Jude Rook (G), Jo Grant (UKIP).

St Margaret’s Ward: Maggie Barradell (L), Lee Reynolds* (C), Tim Lockington (LD), Kirsty Wilmot (G).

Stoke Park Ward: Tony Blacker (L), Bob Hall* (C), Maureen Haaker (LD), Barry Broom (G), Alan Cotterell (UKIP).

Westgate Ward: Julian Gibbs* (L), Chris Chambers (C), Martin Hore (LD), John Mann (G), Mark Schueler (UKIP).

Whitehouse Ward: Lucy Trenchard (L), Stephen Lark (C), Michelle Brown (LD), Ned Harrison (G), Tony Gould (UKIP).

Whitton Ward: Darren Heaps (L), John Downie (C), Daniel Davey (LD), David Hurlbut (UKIP).

Key: L: Labour, C: Conservative, LD: Liberal Democrat, G: Green, UKIP: United Kingdom Independence Party, Ind: Independent. *Denotes sitting councillor.