Record number of county candidates

Thursday 22nd April 2010, 2:41PM BST.

A record number of candidates are standing in Shropshire, with huge seven-way battles in some county seats.

Nominations have closed and show that nationwide a total of 4,149 candidates are battling for 650 Commons seats.

In Shropshire, there are 30 contenders who have thrown their hats into the ring – easily the highest number ever.

Both Shrewsbury & Atcham and Ludlow have seven-cornered battles, with North Shropshire just behind with six.

The Wrekin and Telford constituencies will each be fought over by five candidates.

The “big three” are standing in all Shropshire seats, and there are also candidates from UKIP, the Green Party, the BNP, The Impact Party, and the Monster Raving Loony William Hill Party.

Over in Mid Wales, the Montgomeryshire seat is a seven-way fight.

Nationally, Labour, Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are each fielding candidates for 631 of the 632 UK mainland constituencies, but standing aside for Speaker John Bercow at Buckingham.

Among the other parties, four have three-figure candidate totals: UKIP with 557 runners, BNP 337, Green 334 and English Democrats 106. There are also 315 independents.

View more: Election 2010 news.