There are some very familiar names on - and off - the candidate list for this year’s local elections in Swindon.

A number of long-serving and well-known councillors are stepping down, while some former councillors are throwing their hat in the ring again.

And some big hitters in cabinet or in opposition find themselves fighting to stay in the chamber as their four-year term of office is up.

READ MORE: All the candidates standing at the 2023 Swindon local elections

Among the returnees are two former mayors of Swindon. Stan Pajak is standing for the Liberal Democrats in his old stamping ground of Eastcott while Junab Ali who will be Labour’s candidate in Shaw having lost his Central ward seat last year.

Mr Pajak was a Liberal Democrat councillor since before Swindon Borough Council came into being in 1997, having also been a councillor on Thamesdown District Council and Wiltshire County Council.

His defeat in 2021 saw the Lib Dems wiped out in the chamber.

Labour will be hoping two other ex-councillors will be returned with Chris Watts, who used to represent Eastcott, standing in Old Town. His wife Nadine is already a Labour councillor there.

Fay Howard, who represented Liden, Eldene & Park South for 17 years before stepping down in 2021 will be standing in Mannington & Western for Labour.

She hopes to replace her party colleague Steph Exell, who represented the ward for 11 years in two periods since 2007.

There are four Conservative councillors stepping down at this election – two who have served one term each and two who share 49 years of service as councillors between them.

Both Nick Burns-Howell, who took Old Town for the Conservatives in 2019, and Robert Jandy, who won in St Margaret & South Marston at the same time and who was cabinet member for leisure and culture for a time, will not contest their seats.

In Blunsdon & Highworth Alan Bishop will stand down after 12 years as a councillor and in Shaw, former Mayor of Swindon Nick Martin is retiring after 25 years as a borough councillor. He served another 12 years as a councillor in the 1980s and 90s before that.

Finally, some senior councillors will have to make sure they get back in if they want to serve as long as Coun Martin.

The biggest name of all is David Renard, who has been leader of the council for more than a decade. And he’ll have taken notice that last year the candidate in his ward of Haydon Wick, normally a Conservative stronghold, was defeated by Labour.

Other serving cabinet members who are also campaigning to hold their own seats are Dale Heenan in Covingham & Dorcan, Jenny Jefferies in Chiseldon & Lawn, Oladapo Ibitoye, who took Penhill & Upper Stratton in something of a coup for the Conservatives in 2019, and Steve Heyes in St Andrews.

For Labour, former long-serving leader Jim Grant, who handed over the reins to current leader Jim Robbins after an election which saw the party start to turn things around last year is up in Rodbourne Cheney, and there are three group spokesmen also standing again.

In Eastcott Paul Dixon is campaigning to retain his seat, while Adorabelle Shaikh is hoping for a second term as a councillor for Central and the party’s deputy leader Emma Bushell will be hoping to hold on to Walcot & Park North.

The elections will be held on Thursday, May 4.

The last date to register to vote is Monday April 17, and all those who want to vote in person must take photo ID along to the polling station.