By Andrew Topping, Local Democracy Reporter
Mansfield District Council has revealed the 126 candidates vying to become councillors at the district-wide election taking place next month.
Voters across the district will take to the polls on May 4 to decide who they want to represent their local ward.
A total of 36 council seats are up for election, with voters in each ward asked to elect one councillor to represent them until 2027.
Voters will also decide on who controls the council in the mayoral election.
Five people – including current Labour mayor Andy Abrahams – are on the ballot sheet for this poll.
The election comes four years after Mr Abrahams narrowly won the mayoral poll by just two votes after several recounts in 2019.
The Labour mayor pipped his predecessor Kate Allsop (Mans Ind) after a recount of the second preference votes.
A similar recount is unlikely this year after the electoral system was changed from a second preference vote to the standard ‘first past the post’ system.
Mansfield is unique, being one of only a handful of areas to appoint a directly-elected mayor.
This position is an elected council leader who takes control of the authority, is in charge of policy-making and can form their own cabinet.
In the 2019 election, Mr Abrahams won the mayoral vote and the Labour Party won the most seats, with 15.
However, the group did not secure an overall majority in the chamber.
The Mansfield Independent Forum – now the Mansfield Independents – secured 13 seats, while there were six unaligned independents and two Conservatives.
Turnout in the 2019 poll was 29.79 per cent.
The May 2023 ballot sheets include candidates from Labour, the Mansfield Independents, the Conservatives, Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, Green Party, Reform UK and unaligned independents.
Notable names include prominent former Mansfield Independents councillor Stewart Rickersey vying for a return to politics in the Eakring ward.
Independent Stephen Harvey – a former councillor and 2019 General Election candidate – is also looking for a political return in the Kings Walk ward.
Below are all candidates for the mayoral election and each of the council wards, broken down alphabetically by surname.
Mayoral Election
Andy Abrahams – Labour Party
Mick Barton – Mansfield Independents – putting local residents first
Andre Camilleri – The Conservative Party Candidate
Karen Rachel Mary Seymour – Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
Julie Margaret Tasker-Love-Birks – Independent
Bancroft
Mandy Christine Jackson – Mansfield Independents – putting local residents first
Robert Learmonth – The Conservative Party Candidate
Sue Swinscoe – Labour Party
Denis Nneka Tooley-Okonkwo – Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
Berry Hill
Stephen Timothy Bodle – Mansfield Independents – putting local residents first
Andre Camilleri – The Conservative Party Candidate
Michelle Laing – Labour Party
Brick Kiln
Faith Bekis – The Conservative Party Candidate
Terry Clay – Labour Party
Deb Hodson – Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
Ben Hollywood – Mansfield Independents – putting local residents first
Carr Bank
Michael Antony Abbs – Labour Party
Kelvin Gene Peters – The Conservative Party Candidate
Stuart Wilson Wallace – Mansfield Independents – putting local residents first
Central
Charles Anderson – The Conservative Party Candidate
Charles Ian Hammersley – The Labour Party
Andy Johnson – Mansfield Independents – putting local residents first
Paul Tooley-Okonkwo – Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
Eakring
Joshua Kevin Charles – The Conservative Party Candidate
John Christopher Peter Metcalfe – Labour Party
Stewart Edward Rickersey – Mansfield Independents – putting local residents first
Grange Farm
Leah Jade Hartshorn – Labour Party
John Kenneth Roughton – The Conservative Party Candidate
Il-Suna Petek Sato – Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
June Stendall – Independent
Holly Forest Town
Shelly Burnett – Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
Bo Hitchmough – The Conservative Party Candidate
Donna Marie Thomas – Labour Party
Martin Wright – Mansfield Independents – putting local residents first
Hornby
Vic Bobo – The Conservative Party Candidate
Anne Callaghan – Labour Party
Ruth Ford – Mansfield Independents – putting local residents first
Kings Walk
Rouchelle Lorna Evans – Labour Party
Stephen Harvey – Independent
Liz Langrick – The Conservative Party Candidate
Kev Brown – Mansfield Independents – putting local residents first
Kingsway Forest Town
Robert Arthur Corden – The Conservative Party Candidate
Angie Jackson – Labour Party
Gio Loperfido – Mansfield Independents – putting local residents first
Lindhurst
Tom Birchall – Mansfield Independents – putting local residents first
Neil Paul Smith – The Conservative Party Candidate
Rich Mitchell-Tempest – Labour Party
Ling Forest
Andrea Dickens – Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
Bill Drewett – Mansfield Independents – putting local residents first
Nigel Moxon – The Conservative Party Candidate
Zoe Lawrence-Newton – Labour Party
Manor
Paul Simon Lawrence – The Conservative Party Candidate
Jayne Elizabeth Riddin – Mansfield Independents – putting local residents first
Craig Lea Whitby – Labour Party
Market Warsop
Debra Louise Barlow – Independent
Joe Johnson – Mansfield Independents – putting local residents first
Jack William Lewis Stephenson – Labour Party
Rita Bernadette Townsend – The Conservative Party Candidate
Ruth Truswell – Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
Maun Valley Forest Town
Mick Barton – Mansfield Independents – putting local residents first
Shane Andrew Roy Draper – Labour Party
Karen Rachel Mary Seymour – Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
Keith Townsend – The Conservative Party Candidate
Meden
Denise Answer – Mansfield Independents – putting local residents first
Grant Bembridge – The Conservative Party Candidate
Andy Wetton – Labour Party
Mill Lane
Caroline Ann Ellos – Labour Party
Shirley Peters – The Conservative Party Candidate
Andrea Russell – Mansfield Independents – putting local residents first
Netherfield
Timothy Peter Bower – The Conservative Party Candidate
David Hughes – Labour Party
Philip Shields – Independent
Newlands Forest Town
Pippa Clements – The Conservative Party Candidate
Andrew Shooter – Labour Party
Sid Walker – Mansfield Independents – putting local residents first
Oak Tree
Gemma Canlin – Mansfield Independents – putting local residents first
Paul Nigel Henshaw – Labour Party
Nick Marks – The Conservative Party Candidate
Milo Elijah Tooley-Okonkwo – Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
Oakham
Robert Philip Elliman – The Conservative Party Candidate
Stephen John North – Labour Party
Craig Sims – Mansfield Independents – putting local residents first
Park Hall
Jacob Ki Thomas Denness – Labour Party
Dean Ellis – Mansfield Independents – putting local residents first
Alice Mary Kurylo – The Conservative Party Candidate
Penniment
Adam Nigel Brailsford – Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
Stuart Richardson – Labour Party
Michael Roger Shilladay – The Conservative Party Candidate
David Smith – Mansfield Independents – putting local residents first
Pleasley
Chris Clarke – Green Party
Sharron Hartshorn – Labour Party
Jak Daniel Shuttleworth – The Conservative Party Candidate
Brian Wheatcroft – Mansfield Independents – putting local residents first
Racecourse
Steve Garner – Independent
Rob Kinton – Labour Party
Vicki Wright – Mansfield Independents – putting local residents first
Rock Hill
Shaun Anthoney – Mansfield Independents – putting local residents first
Mark Stephen Garner – Independent
Diana Camille McKenzie – Labour Party
Julie Robinson – The Conservative Party Candidate
Rufford
Barry Michael Answer – Mansfield Independents – putting local residents first
Garry Cole – Labour Party
Gareth Corden – The Conservative Party Candidate
Shaun Dennis Thornton – Green Party
Sherwood
Alan Bell – Labour and Co-operative Party
Emma Camina – The Conservative Party Candidate
Teresa Hanstock – Mansfield Independents – putting local residents first
Southwell
Elliott Marcus Brown – The Conservative Party Candidate
Charlotte Ruth Inkle – Labour Party
Craig Vernon – Mansfield Independents – putting local residents first
Thompsons
Sinead Anne Anderson – The Conservative Party Candidate
Dennis Robinson – Labour Party
Roger Sutcliffe – Mansfield Independents – putting local residents first
Vale
Jane Kathleen Beachus – Labour Party
Wendy Cook – Mansfield Independents – putting local residents first
Gill Maharjan – Green Party
Michelle Patricia Swain – The Conservative Party Candidate
Wainwright
Lynn Henshaw – Labour Party
Ian Sheppard – Mansfield Independents – putting local residents first
Beverley Smith – The Conservative Party Candidate
Warsop Carrs
Ben Bonser – Mansfield Independents – putting local residents first
Andy Burgin – Labour Party
Robyn Hendley – Green Party
Barbara Henson – The Conservative Party Candidate
West Bank
Ben Brown – The Conservative Party Candidate
Faz Choudhury – Mansfield Independents – putting local residents first
Sally Anne Higgins – Labour Party
Tony Jones – Reform UK
Yeoman Hill
Stuart Butler – Mansfield Independents – putting local residents first
John Coxhead – Labour Party
Andy Tyler – The Conservative Party Candidate
