May 2016 elections: Who's standing to be your councillor in Walsall?

But predicting the outcome of the May 5 poll will be no easy task if recent events are anything to go by.

Back in August 2014 Labour took over after the Tories lost a no-confidence vote. But their period of power lasted less than a year, despite the party winning 27 seats to the Conservatives 25 in the May 2015 election.

The Tories gained four seats – including three from Labour – leading to a tense month of negotiations as both main parties attempted to garner the support required to take control.

It all came down to one balmy night in June when embattled party chief Mr Bird seized back leadership of the authority after forming an alliance with three UKIP and two Independent councillors to form a minority administration.

With the council under no overall control, this year's election is likely to be a fascinating affair as Labour and the Conservatives battle for an overall majority.

The borough has long been a contest between the two major parties. The east of the town – including St Matthew's, Paddock, Pheasey Park Farm and Streetly - is dominated by the Tories.

But the western wards replicate the Labour dominated Black Country areas of Sandwell and Wolverhampton.

The Conservatives held power from 2004 to 2011, and before then it was Labour run for 11 out of 31 years.

But the other 20 years in that period saw a council under no overall control.

Next month a total of 20 of the council's 60 seats are up for grabs, one in each ward.

When the same set of seats was contested in 2012 Labour landed 28 of them to the Conservatives 24.

This time the red side have to defend nine of their 27 seats, while the Tories defend seven of their 25.

Interestingly both Liberal Democrat seats are up for election. Long-standing councillor Ian Shires will defend his Willenhall North seat, while Daniel Barker heads to the polls in Short Heath, the seat previously held by Mr Shires' wife Doreen.

Mrs Shires is stepping down after 36 years on the council. Another long serving councillor to move aside is Dennis Anson, who has represented Pleck for 25 years.

UKIP finished second in many wards in 2015 and will be looking to improve on its three seats this time around. The party has

The Conservatives Mohammed Arif has been deselected in St Matthew's after 12 years. Suky Samra will contest the seat in his place.

In Birchills-Leamore Labour's Tina Jukes will defend her seat against a single challenge from the Conservatives Shaz Ali. She won the seat in 2012 by a comfortable majority of 1,150.

Labour leader Sean Coughlan will contest the Willenhall South seat, with Reiss Carr (Cons) and Ryan O'Brien (UKIP) providing the opposition.

Two cabinet members put their seats on the line. Rose Martin, the portfolio holder for public health and wellbeing is up for election in Paddock, while deputy leader Adrian Andrew will contest Pheasey Park Farm.

In Blakenall former mayor Pete Smith will attempt to retain his seat as an independent candidate against competition from Labour's Matt Ward and the Conservatives Hilda Derry. Mr Smith landed the seat by a majority of just 13 over the Labour Co-op candidate in 2012.

Elections for the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner will take place on the same day as the local council elections.

* denotes incumbent candidate

Birchills-Leamore

ALI, Shaz (Cons); JUKES, Tina Joan (Lab)*

Blakenall

DERRY, Hilda (Cons); SMITH, Pete (Independent)*; WARD, Matt (Lab)

Bloxwich East

FITZPATRICK, Julie (Lab)*; STATHAM, Mark (Cons); TIMMINS, Gary (UKIP)

Bloxwich West

ALLEN, Brad (Cons); LANE, Patti (Lab)*

Short Heath

BARKER, Daniel (Lib Dem)*; CARPENTER, Ron (Cons); CASTLE, Dan (UKIP); WESTLEY, Jennie (Lab)

Willenhall North

BASHIR, Hajran (Lab); MARSTON, Glyn (Cons); SHIRES, Ian (Lib Dem)*; WYCHERLEY, David (UKIP)

Willenhall South

CARR, Reiss (Cons); COUGHLAN, Sean (Lab)*; O'BRIEN, Ryan (UKIP)

Brownhills

BENNETT, Derek (UKIP); BRITTAIN, Ben (Cons); WADE, Steve (Lab)*

Aldridge Central and South

DHILLON, Balvir Kaur (Lab); HAYWARD, Colin (UKIP); SHEWARD, Roy (Lib Dem); WILSON, Timothy (Cons)*

Aldridge North and Walsall Wood

BURTON, Pete (UKIP); GRAINGER, Bob (Lab); GREVESON, Mark (Lib Dem); SEARS, Keith (Cons)*

Pelsall

BEECH, Mark (No party indicated); EARDLEY, Graham (UKIP); PERRY, Garry (Cons)*; WILLIAMS, Grant (Lab)

Rushall-Shelfield

COOKE, Sam (Lib Dem); DUFFEN, Jessica (UKIP); NEWEY, Chris (English Democrats Love England – Leave EU!); SHIMIM, Sawra (Cons); WORRALL, Richard (Lab)*

Pheasey Park Farm

ANDREW, Adrian (Cons)*; GREY, Steve (UKIP); WINDWOOD, Gill (Lab)

Streetly

DOUGLAS-MAUL, Brian (Cons)*; DUFFEN, Adrian (UKIP); GARFITT, John (Lib Dem); SHAMJI, Raaj (Lab)

Bentley and Darlaston North

KHAN, Moz (Cons); RUDD-EVERITT, Alan (UKIP); UNDERHILL, Angela (Lab)*

Darlaston South

BOTT, Chris (Indep)*; FLETCHER, Charlotte (Green); HALFORD, Corrie (Lab); PATEL, Anant (Cons)

Paddock

FLETCHER, Glyn (Lib Dem); FRIEND, Philip (UKIP); MARTIN, Rose (Cons)*; MOHAMMED, Adam (Lab)

Palfrey

DITTA, Sabina (Lab)*; LAD, Kish (Cons)

Pleck

ALI, Zulfiqar (Cons); GULTASIB, Naheed (Lab)*

St Matthew's

NAZIR, Abdus (Lab); SAMRA, Suky (Cons)*