There's just a few weeks of campaigning before voters go to the polls in local authority elections across Kent.

In Maidstone, a total of 73 candidates will be contesting the 18 seats available on the borough council.

The Conservatives are fielding a candidate in every ward; the Greens and the Lib Dems are contesting 16 wards, and the Labour is fighting in 15.

There is also an intervention by two smaller parties: Reform UK has a candidate, Graham Jarvis, in South Ward, and the Heritage Party has a candidate, Sean Turner, in Bearsted. Both parties take a right-wing, pro-Brexit stance.

There are in addition six Independent candidates, including sitting councillor Susan Grigg, who was elected for Loose four years ago as a Liberal Democrat, but later split from her party, and Paul Thomas in South Ward, who last year stood as a Tory candidate but has since become disillusioned with his old party.

Probably the candidate with most at stake is Independent Gordon Newton.

He has represented Downswood and Otham for the past 12 years. Currently Deputy Mayor, Cllr Newton is due to become the Mayor just days after polling day - but only if he is re-elected.

The election is for just one third of the 55 council seats, but nevertheless has the potential to change the direction of the council which is currently run by the Conservatives.

At present, on paper the Tories have an overall majority of just one, although they often receive support from some of the 10 Independent members.

But they also potentially have the most to lose in the coming election as they are defending in nine of the 18 seats, while the others are currently held by five Lib Dem, three Independents and one Labour councillor.

Although the results in some wards would be easy to predict, others are harder.

In Conservative-held Boxley, one of the new candidates is Vanessa Jones, who as chairman of Bredhurst Parish Council has been a leading figure in the campaign against the deeply unpopular borough proposal to create a 2,000-home garden village at Lidsing.

Mrs Jones has a long history as a local activist having founded the Bredhurst Woodland Action Group in 2005, and having been awarded the British Empire Medal in recognition of her conservation work in 2016.

On paper, South Ward would appear to be the most hotly contested seat - with six candidates. However, with the right-wing vote likely to be split between the Conservative, Reform UK and the Independent candidates, sitting councillor Brian Clark (Lib Dem) will be hopeful of retaining his seat.

One unknown factor is the extent of support for the Greens.

They achieved their first ever victory in Maidstone last year, when Cllr Stuart Jeffery was elected to Bridge Ward.

Since then he has been one of the busiest back-bench councillors, punching well above his weight.

Inspired by his success, the Greens are talking of perhaps winning another five seats this time.

This will be the last election in the current format.

Those elected in May will serve for one year only - not the usual four. Then in 2024, there will be a big re-organisation.

The whole council will be elected in one go, but there will be fewer seats, only 49, and there will be ward boundary changes in all areas.

All the ward changes can be seen here.

One final factor causing uncertainty this time is the requirement for the first time for voters to show photo ID when they cast their ballot.

If they can't show an authorised form of ID (see the list here) they will not be permitted to vote.

All voters have been warned of the change by letter from Maidstone council.

It is widely assumed this will benefit the Conservatives, but as yet there is no data to support that contention.

Here is a list of candidates:

Allington

Laura Kennedy (Con)

Marianna Poliszczuk (Lab)

Cynthia Robertson (Lib Dem)

Rachel Rodwell (Green)

Bearsted

Ian Chittenden (Lib Dem)

Ciaran Oliver (Green)

Val Springett (Con)

Mark Tickner (Lab)

Sean Turner (Heritage)

Boxley

Anne Brindle (Com)

Vanessa Jones (Ind)

Stella Randall (Lab)

Geoffery Samme (Lib Dem)

Coxheath and Hunton

Claire Kehily (Green)

John Randall (Lab)

James Reid (Con)

Bryan Vizzard (Lib Dem)

Detling and Thurnham

Stephen Thompson (Green)

Zelina Toric-Azad (Lib Dem)

Christopher Waters (Con)

Downswood and Otham

Theresa Lyons (Lab)

David Murray (Green)

Gordon Newton (Ind )

Scott Walker (Con)

East

Ronald Burke (Con)

David Naghi (Lib Dem)

Derek Swan (Lab)

Matthew White (Green)

Fant

Rojo Kurien (Lib Dem)

Ian McDonald (Green)

Jaison Musindo (Con)

Margaret Rose (Lab)

Harrietsham and Lenham

Andrew Bye (Con)

Tom Sams (Ind)

Ryan Slaughter (Lab)

High Street

Steven Cheeseman (Green)

David Collier (Lab)

Reiss Cordrey (Con)

Dinesh Khadka (Lib Dem)

Leeds

Robert Field (Lib Dem)

Gill Fort (Con)

Caroline Jessel (Green)

Loose

Ken Amakye (Con)

Donna Greenan (Green)

Susan Grigg (Ind)

Alan Le Grys (Lab)

Simon Wales (Lib Dem)

Marden and Yalding

Sarah Barwick (Lab)

Annabelle Blackmore (Con)

Chris Passmore (Lib Dem)

Mick Summersgill (Green)

North

Scott Hahnefeld (Con)

Kimberley Milham (Green)

Rachel Slaughter (Lab)

Michael Thompson (Lib Dem)

Shepway North

Gary Butler (Ind)

Alison Colyer (Con)

Joe Higson (Lib Dem)

Stephen Muggeridge (Green)

Joanna Wilkinson (Lab)

South

Brian Clark (Lib Dem)

Emily Hudson (Con)

Graham Alexander Jarvis (Reform UK)

Dennis Luchmun (Lab)

Simon Milham (Green)

Paul Thomas (Ind)

Staplehurst

Thomas Burnham (Lib Dem)

Kelly Rigden (Green)

Paddy Riordan (Con)

Rory Sikin (Lab)

Sutton Valence and Langley

Derek Eagle (Green)

Martin Richards (Lib Dem)

Wendy Young (Con)

Stuart Jeffery, leader of the Green Party, said: "We are working hard in wards where we came second last time. Our candidates are standing on principles of environmental and social issues, campaigning to reverse bus cuts, stop children’s centres closing, protecting rivers from sewage and green spaces from developers."

Mick Summersgill, the Green party's candidate in Marden, said: "Last year’s breakthrough onto Maidstone Borough Council has shown just what one Green councillor can do.

"With the Conservatives in free fall, next month we will begin to show just how effective six Green councillors can be.

“With the cost of living crisis crashing into the ecological crisis, we need a local council that puts people and nature first in ways that help both to thrive.

"Whether it is a programme of insulation to reduce bills or a focus on affordable homes, the council can and must do better.

“People are turning to the Green Party in their droves and we have high hopes of many wins locally and nationally.”

The Lib Dem manifesto states: "We believe that the current administration is short-changing Maidstone, with a noticeable decline in the quality of life from the deterioration of our infrastructure to the maintenance of our open spaces and their cleanliness (or otherwise).

"We are committed to addressing this across the whole range of issues.

"We opposed key elements of the fundamentally flawed review of the Maidstone Borough Local Plan and achieved the removal of the damaging proposal for a so-called safeguarding policy for the Leeds Langley Bypass, which would not have delivered a bypass, but could well have led to thousands more houses.

"We are continuing to fight damaging development proposed at Lidsing and other sites slated for far more development than is appropriate, such as Invicta Barracks.

"We will push for more resources to be put into the policing of environmental crime, including fly-tipping, and other related crimes and continue to push for significant improvements to address anti- social behaviour.

"Following successes in securing investment for the Town Centre at Brenchley Gardens and Holy Trinity Park, we will wish for action to address concerns in our residential areas and rural communities.

"We will seek to take action against rogue landlords, in both the private and public sector that provide substandard accommodation to their tenants.

"We will push again for more 20mph limits and for Kent to start using its potential powers under the Highway Act 2006 to address moving vehicle crime.

"We will press for improvements to the council’s parking policy concessions to make life easier for residents with limited parking options."

The Conservative group is standing on its ambition to create 1,000 new affordable homes for local people, while at the same time tackling the green agenda with, it says, climate change central to every decision it takes.

It says it will use planning policy to ensure electric car charging facilities for all new properties and solar panels on every new roof.

It promises to stamp out anti-social behaviour with greater funding for the Community Support Team and enhanced CCTV in key areas such as Brenchley Gardens and a greater use of public space protection orders.

It promises "a strong and effective planning enforcement team" to tackle those that flout the rules.

The Tories also promise more investment in the town's museums and more displays to celebrate the history of Maidstone.

'We will push for a Leeds Langley Relief Road'

They say they will use their new Town Centre Strategy to regenerate key sites in the town and to utilise buildings as they become vacant.

The party promises a complete review of the Integrated Transport Strategy, saying that although they "do not support enforced 'modal shift'", nevertheless the policy should give a greater emphasis to "travel choices" including the use of public transport, walking and cycling.

However, the party would still continue to push for a Leeds Langley Relief Road, even if it meant taking more houses to fund it.

The party would "push back" on government housing targets and look to increase the Community Infrastructure Levy to make developers pay more for infrastructure improvements.

The Labour party said: "We are committed to supporting local people in delivering sustained improvements for the benefit of our community."

"We aim to improve infrastructure and campaign for better transport integration, especially for villages who have little or no transport links to the town and who struggle to access services.

"We want sustainable housing options to meet the needs of the local community that are truly affordable for the average person - and energy efficient.

"We will hold local social and private landlords to account with enforcement so that they meet their obligations for repairs.

"And we will oppose the proliferation of HMOs"

Further aims include tackling crime and anti-social behaviour to ensure Maidstone is a safe place for residents; working with other agencies and public health and the NHS to improve health outcomes and reduce health inequality within the borough.

Labour also said they wanted to regenerate the town centre by supporting local independent businesses to reinvigorate Maidstone and ensure "that we have a local economy that works for everyone."

It would protect the town's cultural and heritage areas from development while improving the river area for people to enjoy.

It would campaign for rural areas to have better transport and community and services, and would oppose any cuts to services including those proposed by KCC.

Finally Labour said: "Building on the Labour Motion in 2019 to full council declaring a Climate Emergency, we will protect our environment and hold water companies to account for unacceptable levels of pollution which threaten public health."

Party leader Maureen Cleator said Labour was confident of retaining Fant Ward, ambitious to gain Shepway North and hopeful of winning in Staplehurst, where the sitting Conservative councillor, Louise Brice, is stepping down.

Graham Jarvis who is contesting South Ward for Reform UK has previously stood as a Conservative candidate in Fant, but he has become disillusioned with that party.

He said: "The Conservatives are no longer conservative. They failed to deliver Brexit properly and they've failed to stop migrants crossing in small boats."

He has lived in Maidstone since 2016.

A 53-year-old freelance journalist married to a Greek lady, he is standing on local issues of tackling crime, reducing litter and easing the cost-of-living burden. He is in favour of a relief road to reduce congestion in the town.

He said: "Reform UK is about common sense and reform."

Sean Turner, 46, is standing for the Heritage Party in Bearsted where he has lived for five years. A father of two, he works as a grocery deliverer.

He said: "I believe the council should be totally transparent in communicating with their residents.

"Maidstone has such wonderful potential.

"It’s a diverse county town which could once again thrive and become prosperous through basic common sense decision making under the correct guidance of a positively minded council."

He said the Heritage party stood for free speech, sovereign liberty, traditional family values and conserving and protecting the nation's heritage and culture.

Polling day is on Thursday, May 4.

There should also have been elections in 15 parish councils on that day.

Sadly in a story that is all too familiar at this lowest tier of local government, most had too few candidates to fill the number of vacancies.

Even in Bearsted, which has been riven with political strife over the last year, there were only 12 people who out their names forward for the 15 seats available, which means that all 12 are automatically declared "elected."

They will then have the opportunity other to fill the vacant places themselves under the co-option process.

In all, 14 parishes had either only just enough or too few candidates, meaning they were declared automatically elected.

Only in Tovil will there be an actual election with 12 candidates contesting 11 seats.