26 April 2012 Last updated at 09:10 ET

Vote 2012: Swindon council elections biggest in 12 years

The last time Swindon Borough Council had an all-out election was in 2000

On 3 May the residents of Swindon will go to the polls for their biggest local election since the turn of the millennium.

The last time Swindon Borough Council had an all-out election was in 2000; Labour were in power locally and also in central government.

This year a total of 57 councillors are to be elected across 20 wards, with each councillor representing approximately 2,800 constituents.

To further complicate things, the map for which parts of Swindon are grouped together has been redrawn and the ward boundaries changed.

Nearly all of the wards will each be electing three councillors.

One ward - Chiseldon and Lawn - is to have two new councillors and another - Ridgeway - is to have only one councillor.

Analysis Paul Barltrop Political editor, West of England

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The last time there was an election for all the seats on Swindon Borough Council, the ruling party lost control. That was in 2000, and it was Labour who took a battering as the Conservatives made enormous gains.

This time it's the other way round - and the Tories hope history doesn't repeat itself. They've presently got a comfortable majority, but boundary changes, and reducing the number of councillors by two to 57, forces them into an all-out election at a difficult time.

Being in government nationally usually means punishment at the polls locally. The age of austerity doesn't help - and some of the council's cuts have been very controversial.

Add to that the economic woes - Swindon's got some of the highest unemployment in the West Country - and voters may be looking for change.

The Liberal Democrats with four seats, and UKIP with one (a former Tory), are small fry here.

Be in no doubt: Swindon's a battle between the big two, Conservatives and Labour, and there are going to be casualties.

• Read more from Paul

The Conservative's have run the council since 2003 and are proud of their record, but they know they must work hard to avoid losing their majority.

Councillor Rod Bluh, leader of Swindon Borough Council, said: "The challenge for every local election is trying to get people to focus on local issues rather than national issues.

"We recognise that and to be honest I don't think any of the local parties can do very much about that. If it was just on local issues I don't think we would have to fight nearly as hard."

But it's a fight that Swindon's Labour group believes it can win.

Group leader councillor Jim Grant said: "I'm afraid the Conservative-led government are taking a hammering due to their failure over the budget and their general incompetence in running government.

"They will pay a price for that and I think they will pay a price on 3 May in Swindon."

The Liberal Democrats, who are small in Swindon, have never run the council but believe that could work in their favour.

Councillor Stan Pajak: "Now I think people have the experience of a Conservative council, and also the past bad experience of when Swindon actually was one of the worst performing councils in the country because of it's Labour leadership.

"I think it's a unique opportunity and hopefully people will vote on new lines."

Ward boundaries in Swindon
Old (up to 3 May, 2012)	New (from 8 May, 2012)
Abbey Meads	Blunsdon & Highworth
Blunsdon	Central
Central	Chiseldon & Lawn
Covingham & Nythe	Covingham & Dorcan
Dorcan	Eastcott
Eastcott	Gorse Hill & Pinehurst
Freshbrook & Grange Park	Haydon Wick
Gorse Hill & Pinehurst	Liden, Eldene & Park South
Haydon Wick	Lydiard & Freshbrook
Highworth	Mannington & Western
Moredon	Old Town
Old Town & Lawn	Penhill & Upper Stratton
Parks	Priory Vale
Penhill	Ridgeway
Ridgeway	Rodbourne Cheney
Shaw & Nine Elms	Shaw
St Margaret	St Andrews
St Philips	St Margaret & South Marston
Toothill & Westlea	Walcot & Park North
Walcot	Wroughton & Wichelstowe
Western
Wroughton & Chiseldon