Voters in St Albans and nearby Harpenden will elect their district council members in next month’s poll.

But one name missing from the candidates list is Councillor Chris White, the Liberal Democrat Group leader who has led the council since May 2019. 

More than one third of the seats are up for election in 2023 – a total 21 out of 56. An election to choose Hertfordshire’s next police and crime commissioner will take place on the same day.

“I have been a councillor for 31 years,” said Cllr White, who represents Clarence ward on the district council.

“Five of those years have been in administration and the government has been chucking allegations at us about planning, which are neither fair nor true,” Cllr White said.

He will continue to represent St Albans Central on Hertfordshire County Council, where seats are not up for election until 2025.

Liberal Democrats had 49 out of 56 seats in St Albans after the local elections last year, losing one of these seats to the Green Party in a by-election later in 2023.

Here are the candidates standing in the St Albans City and District Council elections 2024:

Batchwood

Two seats (out of three) for election.

  • Lynn Cunningham – Liberal Democrat
  • Gerry Foster – Independent
  • Damian Gaskin – Green
  • Sinéad Howland – Liberal Democrat
  • Mal Pakenham – Labour
  • Janet Smith – Labour
  • Matthew Thomas – Green
  • Joshua Varghese – Conservative

Bernards Heath

One seat (out of three) for election.

  • Jane Cloke – Labour
  • Jez Levy – Liberal Democrat
  • John Page – Conservative
  • Gabriel Roberts – Green
  • Gee Smedley – Independent

Clarence

One seat (out of three) for election.

  • Lyn Bolton – Conservative
  • Martin McGrath – Labour
  • Joanna Meaden – Liberal Democrat
  • Lucy Swift – Green

Cunningham

One seat (out of three) for election.

  • Larraine Charters – Reform UK
  • Roly Everall – Liberal Democrat
  • Caroline Hall – Green
  • John Paton – Labour
  • Jordan Sweeny – Conservative

Harpenden East

One seat (out of three) for election.

  • Paul De Kort – Liberal Democrat
  • Kieran Mitchell – Conservative
  • Neil Mulcock – Labour
  • Louise Schlich – Green

Harpenden North and Rural

One seat (out of three) for election.

  • Beth Fisher – Liberal Democrat
  • Ross Harper – Labour
  • Mario May – Green
  • Samuel Spiri – Conservative

Harpenden South

One seat (out of three) for election.

  • Gordon Baisley – Green
  • Denise Bowser – Liberal Democrat
  • Matt Cowley – Conservative
  • James Morrell – Labour

Harpenden West

One seat (out of three) for election.

  • Alex Clark – Conservative
  • John Galvin – Liberal Democrat
  • Kyle Riley – Green
  • Victoria Thompson – Labour

Hill End

One seat (out of three) for election.

  • Sudha Bharadia – Conservative
  • Steven Clark – Labour
  • Marianne Jordan – Green
  • Anthony Rowlands – Liberal Democrat

London Colney

Two seats (out of three) for election.

  • Simon Calder – Conservative
  • Mike Hobday – Labour
  • Eleanor Jackson – Reform UK
  • Ambrose Killen – Conservative
  • Matt Maddock – Green
  • Karl Mugele – Liberal Democrat
  • David Onamusi – Liberal Democrat
  • Rosalind Paul – Green
  • Emma Turnbull – Labour

Marshalswick East and Jersey Farm

One seat (out of three) for election.

  • Raihaanah Ahmed – Liberal Democrat
  • Frances Leonard – Conservative
  • James Lomas – Green
  • Nick Pullinger – Labour

Marshalswick West

One seat (out of two) for election.

  • Don Deepthi – Conservative
  • Sarah Heiser – Labour
  • Simon Mostyn – Liberal Democrat
  • Rachel Timbs – Green

Park Street

One seat (out of three) for election.

  • Laurence Chester – Labour
  • Richard Curthoys – Conservative
  • Roger Gray – Reform UK
  • Mark Park-Crowne – Green
  • Terrie Smith – Liberal Democrat

Sandridge and Wheathampstead

Two seats (out of three) for election.

  • Claudio Duran – Conservative
  • Danielle Durant-Taylor – Green
  • Oliver Hitch – Green
  • Simon Johns – Liberal Democrat
  • Owain McKenzie – Liberal Democrat
  • Hannah Thornley Hill – Labour

Sopwell

One seat (out of three) for election.

  • Mark Ewington – Communist Party of Britain
  • Iain Grant – Labour
  • Deborah McGettrick – Green
  • Jesús Pastor – Liberal Democrat
  • Heather Rench – Conservative
  • Lexine Savva – Reform UK

St Peters

One seat (out of three) for election.

  • Naina Bloom – Liberal Democrat
  • David Byatt – Labour
  • Graham Leonard – Conservative
  • Juliet Voisey – Green

St Stephen

One seat (out of three) for election.

  • Janet Blackwell – Labour
  • Meryl Burleigh – Green
  • James Cook – Conservative
  • Giles Fry – Liberal Democrat
  • David Thurston – Reform UK

Verulam

One seat (out of three) for election.

  • Edgar Hill – Liberal Democrat
  • Geoff Meade – Labour
  • June Reid – Conservative
  • Candy Whittome – Green