IT could be all change at Haslemere Town Council - with 33 hopefuls going head to head for 18 seats.

Currently served by 17 Tories and one Independent, the political mix may be very different following the May 2 elections.

Eighteen Conservatives are standing for the five wards - Haslemere South, Haslemere North and Grayswood, Hindhead, Shottermill, and Critchmere.

The new town council will definitely be minus one well-known Tory member.

Stepping down this time around is Penny Bradley, who served as town mayor in 2014-15.

Hoping to be re-elected are 13 current Conservative councillors - joined by five new hopefuls.

May 2 will see if Tory dominance continues on the town council.

The 18 candidates are being challenged in each ward by eight Lib Dem hopefuls in a push to revive party support at grass roots level.

In a boost for the Green Party, four candidates have thrown their hats into the ring.

The town’s only independent councillor Nikki Barton is standing again for Haslemere South, as is fellow independent Kirsten Ellis.

Striking a blow for Labour is Adrian La Porta.

Polling expert Conservative peer Lord Hayward, who correctly forecast the results of the 2016 EU referendum and the 2015 general election, has warned Tory candidates will suffer a hammering at town hall elections unless Theresa May can agree a Brexit deal.

Lord Hayward said many traditional Tory voters would either back other parties or not bother to turn out on May 2.

“The problem is things are so fluid at the moment,” he said. “I have no doubt in my mind that there will be a Brexit benefit to the Government if there is a deal.

“The corollary of that is that there is a deficit to the Tory party from not having a deal – there is no question about it.

“If you talk to most MPs, they will say exactly the same thing. They want a deal so they can go out on the doorstep at the last minute and say, ‘we’ve got a deal’.

“But if there isn’t a deal, then the Tories have a disadvantage.”

* Pictured are the 33 candidates running for the 18 seats available.

They are each numbered and grouped in the ward they are contesting.

In the build-up to the May 2 local elections, the Herald has invited each of Haslemere’s candidates to submit 150-word personal statements, explaining in their own words why they deserve your vote.

See this week’s Haslemere Herald to see their statements and follow the picture numbers to see who is who.

* See next week’s Haslemere Herald for candidates for Surrey County Council, Waverley borough and East Hampshire and Chichester district councils.