KEEP up to date on what the six parties vying for seats at the Stroud District Council elections next week stand for.

At this section of the website you will find all the manifestos for the political groups wanting seats on the council.

The number of seats up for election is 18 (17 plus one by-election), which is one-third of the council.

The political breakdown of the seats being contested is:

• Conservative - nine

• Labour - three

• Liberal Democrats - three

• Green - one

• Conservative No Group - one

• Independent - one (by-election)

Parish elections also take place on May 22 - for nominations go to www.stroud.gov.uk/elections Both elections take place on Thursday, May 22 with 98 polling stations open from 7am to 10pm.

In the Gazette’s readership the wards of Berkeley, Cam East, Cam West, Coaley and Uley, Dursley, Severn, Vale and Wotton-under-Edge have their seat up for grabs.

The total number of seats on SDC is 51, with the Conservatives currently holding 21, five shy of what is needed to control the administration.

In addition registered voters can choose which party they wish to stand for them for the South West of England in the European Elections.

MEPs (Members of European Parliament) are elected under a proportional representation system, meaning you vote for one party which will have put forward a list of six candidates.

The parties are then allocated a number of MEPs according to their share of the vote for the region.

Those parties’ manifestos are also available to see on this section of the website.