SEVERAL former Dorset councillors have decided not to stand again in the coming May elections.

Many of the wards will see a choice between the three main national political parties – with the Greens contesting several wards and a handful of Reform Party candidates for the first time.

Notable among the lists is that many of the Conservative candidates listed have opted for the description ‘Local Conservative’.

Missing from the lists are several councillors who have made their mark during the past five years of the new council – including Weymouth councillors David Gray, Pete Barrow and Brian Heatley, experts in quizzing the controlling Conservative group on their financial policies.

Also not on the candidate lists are long-serving councillors Anthony Alford (Eggardon), Graham Carr-Jones (Stalbridge and Marnhull), Molly Rennie (Dorchester), Pauline Batstone (Blackmore Vale), Janet Dover (Colehill), Rebecca Knox (Beaminster) and Mary Penfold (Yetminster).

Also not standing is Rod Adkins (Ferndown South), Tim Cook (Shaftesbury), Mike Dyer (West Moors & Three Legged Cross), Paul Harrison (Corfe Mullen), Andrew Kerby (Winterborne North) , John Worth (Chickerell) and Maria Roe (Colehill).

Switching wards to try again is former Somerset Council official and ex-BBC reporter Simon Clifford who recently was placed second for the Liberal Democrats at Littlemoor and Preston, but has now moved to fight for a seat in Chickerell.

Eighty-two seats on the council are all being contested on May 2 with the opposition parties hoping to break the Conservative majority.

Among the main wards are – Beaminster – Julie Cooke Lab; Paul Fitzpatrick Lib Dem; Richard Gunning no description; Yvonne Harris Reform UK; Andy McEwen Green; Craig Monks Local Conservative.

Blandford (2 seats) – Daniel Avery Social Democratic Party; Gerald Davies Labour; Noc Lacey-Clarke Local Conservative; Hugo Mieville Lib Dem; David Orton Lib Dem; Byron Quayle Local Conservative; Linda Stenner Social Democratic Party; Dennis Wardleworth Labour; Pete West Green; Lisa Willis Green.

Bridport (3 seats) – Bridget Bolwell Lib Dem; Dave Bolwell Lib Dem; Una Christopher Local Conservative; Kelvin Clayton Green; Anna Cox Local Conservative; Bob Hamblett Green; Julian Jones Green; Frances McKenzie Local Conservative; Steven Rose Lab; Sarah Williams Lib Dem.

Chickerell (2 seats) – Simon Clifford Lib Dem; Jean Dunseith Local Conservative; Andrew Reid Local Conservative; Grafton Straker Labour, Gill Taylor, Lib Dem.

Colehill & Wimborne (2 seats) – Jindy Atwal Lib Dem; Carol Butler Local Conservative; K D Johnson Local Conservative; David Moore Lab; Andrew Todd Lib Dem; Emma Urquhart Independent.

Dorchester East (2 seats) – Mina Bowater Local Conservative; Angus Christopher Local Conservative; Gerald Duke Local Conservative; Kate Hebditch Lib Dem; Katy Jones Independent; Stella Jones Lib Dem; Rory Major Lib Dem; Ash Mottaghi Labour; Barry Thompson Labour.

Dorchester Poundbury – Richard Biggs Lib Dem; Nick Boothroyd Labour; Len Herbert Green, Peter Stein Local Conservative.

Dorchester West  (2 seats) - Andy Canning Lib Dem; Les Fry Independent; Jeremy Peel-Yates Local Conservative; Kevin Selby Local Conservative; Claudia Sorin Labour; Andrew Wyatt Labour.

Ferndown  North (2 seats) – Simon Cable Independent; Michael Clements Lib Dem; Andrei Dragotoniu Reform UK; Philip Leach Independent; Cathy Lugg Local Conservative; Mike Parkes Local Conservative; Esbjörn Wilmar Lib Dem.

Ferndown South (2 seats) – Ross Bowell Lib Dem; Paul Hanson Graham Independent; Hannah Hobbs-Chell Independent; Susan Jefferies Lib Dem; George Phillips Local Conservative; Julie Robinson Local Conservative; Lawrence Wilson Independent.

Gillingham (3 seats) -  David Fox Lib Dem; Angela Henshall Green; Anna March Labour; Alex Percy Lib Dem; Val Pothecary Local Conservative; Belinda Ridout Local Conservative; David Walsh Local Conservative; Carl Woode Lib Dem.

Littlemoor and Preston (2 seats) – Alex Bailey Independent; Steve Brown Labour; Peter Dickenson Local Conservative; Howard Legg Lib Dem; Louie O’Leary Local Conservative; Ann Weaving Lib Dem.

Lyme Regis & Charmouth – Belinda Bawden Green; Michaela Ellis Local Conservative; David Hart Labour; Paddy Mooney Lib Dem.

Lytchett Matravers and Upton  (3 seats) – John Billington Labour; Alex Brenton Lib Dem; Sean Gabriel Local Conservative; Stew McKell Local Conservative; Bill Pipe Local Conservative; Steve Robinson Lib Dem; Andrew Starr Lib Dem.

Melcombe Regis – Howard Atkinson Labour; Jon Orrell Green; Claire Wall Local Conservative.

Portland (3 seats) – Catherine Bennett Green; Susan Cocking Independent; Margaret Gadd Local Conservative; Lee Harmsworth Lib Dem; Holly Hope Lib Dem; Rob Hughes Independent; Paul Kimber Labour; Ian Munro-Price Local Conservative; Bernard Parkes Labour; Carralyn Parkes Labour; Gillian Pearson Lib Dem; Maureen Quinn Local Conservative; Pete Roper Independent.

Radipole (2 seats) – Matt Bell Lib Dem; Louise Bown Lib Dem; Pauline Crump Labour; James Farquharson Local Conservative; George Granycome Local Conservative;.

Rodwell and Wyke (3 seats) – Valerie Graves Green; Caroline Nickinson Local Conservative; Richard Nickinson Local Conservative; Antony Prowse Labour; Clare Sutton Green; Thomas Taylor Labour; Claudia Webb Green; Kate Wheller Labour; Clare Williams Local Conservative.

Shaftesbury Town (2 seats) – Dan Bavister Labour; Derek Beer Lib Dem; Lester Dibben no description; Virginia Edwyn-Jones Local Conservative; Andrew Hollingshead Independent; Jack Jeanes Lib Dem; Lester Taylor Patriots Alliance – English Democrats and UKIP; Steve Unwin Patriots Alliance – English Democrats and UKIP; Barry Von Clemens Local Conservative.

Sherborne East – Jon Andrews Lib Dem; Robert Casey Green; Juliet Pentolfe Local Conservative.

Sherborne Rural – Stephen Hillier Conservative; Robin Legg Lib Dem.

Sherborne West – Rebecca Burns Local Conservative; Richard Crabb Lib Dem; Taff Martin Independent.

Swanage (2 seats) – Chris Bradey Labour; Gill Calvin Thomas Lib Dem; Philip Eades Independent; Helen McDavid Independent; Debby Monkhouse Labour; Matt Piper Lib Dem; Kia Pope Green; Gary Suttle Local Conservative; William Trite Local Conservative.

Upwey and Broadwey – Jan Bergman Local Conservative; David Northam Lib Dem; Byron Silver Labour.

Verwood (3 seats) – John Baxter UK Independence Party; Toni Coombs Local Conservative; Lindsey Dedden Lib Dem; Spencer Flower Local Conservative; Simon Gibson Local Conservative; Ginette Holdroyd Lib Dem; Ted Mason Lib Dem; Sandra Turner Labour.

Wareham (2 seats) – Beryl Ezzard Lib Dem; Ryan Holloway Lib Dem; David Law Labour; Jane Newell Local Conservative; Victoria Stocqueler Local Conservative.

West Moors & Three Legged Cross (2 seats) – Steven Anzinger-Cooper Independent; Peter Durant Lib Dem; Malcolm Hobbs Independent; David Shortell Local Conservative; Andy Skeats Local Conservative; Sally Walls Lib Dem.

West Purbeck (2 seats) – Michael Baker, Lib Dem; Laura Beddow Local Conservative; David Civil Lib Dem; Peter Green Labour; David Peden Labour; Peter Wharf Local Conservative.

Westham (2 seats) – Alex Fuhrmann Lib Dem; Lucy Hamilton Labour; Ryan Hope Lib Dem; Christine James Independent; Alexander McGlynn Local Conservative; Jon Rodd Labour; Thomas Tannassee Local Conservative.

Wimborne Minster (2 seats) – Mike Bartlett Local Conservative; Shane Bartlett Lib Dem; Sue Cook Local Conservative; David Morgan Lib Dem; Ashley Rowlands Labour.