The evidence of hordes of political canvassers descending on doorsteps and barbed battles over social media points to a fierce battle for control over Richmond Council.

Some 167 candidates are vying to win one of the 54 seats – with three for each of the 18 wards.

Richmond is a long-standing battleground between the Lib-Dems and the Conservatives and has been a bellwether for the national standing of the parties.

The Lib-Dems, under the leadership of Gareth Roberts, had firm control of the Council ahead of these 2022 elections – holding 39 seats versus 11 Conservatives, 3 Greens and 1 independent.

The Conservatives are putting up three candidates in every ward, however the party faces an uphill battle based on the evidence of national polls.

There are reports the party is trying to distance itself from the Boris Johnson's government and it is pushing candidates on the basis they are local residents.

Interestingly, the party's candidates in East Sheen, which is a key battleground with the Lib-Dems, are listed on the nomination forms as 'Local Conservatives'. These include the leader of the Tory group on the Council, Paul Hodgins.

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The list of candidates across the borough suggests there is something of an informal pact between the Lib-Dems and the Green Party. In six wards, the ruling Lib-Dems are putting up only two candidates where there is also a Green representative standing.

Hampton North looks like being a particularly hard-fought ward. Avril Coelho, who has a strong local following, was elected as a Lib-Dem last time round, but is standing as an independent on May 5 following a rift in the party.

The Mortlake and Barnes Common ward involves an independent in Simon Danciger MBE, who is chairman of the trustees at the OSO Arts Centre and chairman of governors at Richmond Park Academy among other community roles.

The issue dominating politics in the area is the future of Hammersmith Bridge, which has been closed to motor vehicles for three years.

Despite its lack of representation on the Council, Labour is fielding three candidates in every one of the 18 wards. The Green Party has six candidates and the Women's Equality Party is represented in three wards.

Affordable housing is a key issue for voters to consider, including the level proposed for the Mortlake Brewery site. Candidates' positions on cut-through traffic in Richmond Park, plans for the Twickenham Riverside development, school provision and council tax may also sway voters. The full list of candidates standing in the Richmond Council elections is as follows:

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Barnes Ward: Ayar Ata (Lab); Aphra Brandreth (Con); Helen Edward (Con); Sara Gezdari (Con); Andy Hale (Lib Dem); Alec Lever (Lab); Marjory Millum (Lib Dem); Sujata Patel (Lab); Fiona Sacks (Lib Dem)

East Sheen Ward: Julia Cambridge (Lib Dem); Alexandra Cox (Lab); Margaret Dane (Lib Dem); Frederick Hepworth (Lab); Paul Hodgins (Con); Seamus Joyce (Con); David Littlemore (Lab); Brian Marcel (Con); Zoe Mcleod (Lib Dem)

Fulwell and Hampton Hill Ward: Mark Boyle (Con); Joe Broughton (Con); Jonathan Cardy (Lib Dem); John Edmonds (Lab); Matthew Hull (Lib Dem); Julian Reindorp (Lab); Eva Tutchell (Lab); Kelly-Marie Tuthill (Con); Caroline Wren (Green)

Ham, Petersham and Richmond Riverside Ward: Monica Ayliffe (Lab); Gemma Curran (Con); Andree Frieze (Green); Penny Frost (Lib Dem); Manuel Holden-Ayala (Con); Dimitri Jaouen-Strutt (Lab); Alexander Kartun-Giles (Con); Gareth Richards (Lib Dem); Angela Smith (Lab)

Hampton Ward: Sam Dalton (Lib Dem); Derek Gadd (Lab); Roisin Gadd (Lab); Stephen Guichard (Lab); Suzette Nicholson (Lib Dem); Gareth Roberts (Lib Dem); Petra Sale (Con); Jon Slinn (Con); Nina Watson (Con)

Hampton North Ward: Kallon Basham (Green); Avril Coelho (Ind); Jeremy Davis (Lib Dem); Elizabeth Gant (Lib Dem); Kate Howard (Con); James Johnson (Lab); Nupur Majumdar (Con); Elliot Mitchell (Lab); Geoffrey Samuel (Con); Louisa Spawls (Lab)

Hampton Wick and South Teddington Ward: Robin Brown (Lib Dem); Hilary Dance (Con); Petra Fleming (Lib Dem); Katharine Haynes (Lab); Grant Healy (Con); Jon Hollis (Con); Christopher Johnson (Lab); Jim Millard (Lib Dem); Gerard Ward (Lab)

Heathfield Ward: John Coombs (Lib Dem); Nick Dexter (Lab); George Dryja (Con); Marc Hope (Con); Jonathan Lebosquet (Con); Manju Paul (Lab); Lesley Pollesche (Lib Dem); Ranjeev Walia (Lab); Michael Wilson (Lib Dem)

Kew Ward: Alice Bridges-Westcott (Lib Dem); Ian Craigie (Lib Dem); Samuel Ennis (Con); Sophia Fearon (Con); Nicholas Hampson (Lab); Barnaby Marder (Lab); Roger Metcalfe (Con); Eliana Reyes (Women's Equality Party); Clare Vollum (Lib Dem); Marion White (Lab)

Mortlake and Barnes Common Ward: Paul Avon (Con); Francine Bates (Lab); Niki Crookdake (Green); Simon Danciger (Ind); Deborah Genders (Lab); Anton McNulty-Howard (Lib Dem); Tony Paterson (Lib Dem); Jennifer Powers (Con); Sarah-Jane Sewell (Con); Matthew Woolston (Lab)

North Richmond Ward: Thomas Absolon (Lab); Nancy Baldwin (Lib Dem); Sam Cullen (Lab); Thomas Longley (Con); Fiona O'Farrell (Lab); Richard Pyne (Lib Dem); Daniel Rosenschein (Con); Richard Warren (Lib Dem); Suzy Webb (Con)

South Richmond Ward: Christina Atchison (Lab); Pamela Fleming (Con); Michael Freedman (Lab); Edwin Makurah (Lab); Thomas O'Malley (Con); Phillip Taylor (Con); Chris Varley (Lib Dem); Paulina Vassileva (Lib Dem); Chas Warlow (Green)

South Twickenham Ward: Richard Bennett (Green); Michael Butlin (Lib Dem); Christopher Fawcett (Lab); Alexander Kingston (Lab); Rhi Lee (Lib Dem); David Marlow (Con); Helen Marlow (Con); Paul Nacmanson (Con); Laura Rollin (Lab)

St Margarets and North Twickenham Ward: Gordon Alexander (Lab); Penelope Banaji (Lab); Paul Cavin (Con); Alexander Ehmann (Lib Dem); Ben Khosa (Lib Dem); Katie Mansfield (Lib Dem); Philip Moshi (Lab); Keith Newman (Con); Ruth Porter (Con); Trixie Rawlinson (Women's Equality Party)

Teddington Ward: Neil Browning (Lab); Philip Eastment (Con); Martin Elengorn (Lib Dem); Charlie Engel (Lib Dem); Phil Giesler (Lib Dem); Brian Jarvis (Con); Sampson Low (Lab); Elizabeth Mackenzie (Lab); Janet Pell (Con)

Twickenham Riverside Ward: Alexander Bielstein (Con); Susan Chappell (Con); James Chard (Lib Dem); Adam Gladstone (Lab); Anne Loewenstein (Lab); Julia Neden-Watts (Lib Dem); Stephen O'Shea (Lib Dem); Douge Orchard (Con); Caroline Rayfield (Women's Equality Party); Daisy Rushton (Lab)

West Twickenham Ward: Piers Allen (Lib Dem); Peter Finch (Con); Jonny Fryer (Con); Christina Green (Lab); Alan Juriansz (Lib Dem); Laura O'Brien (Lib Dem); Lily-Naomi Sale (Con); Paul Tanto (Lab); Will Tillotson (Lab)

Whitton Ward: Jennifer Hull (Con); Jo Humphreys (Lib Dem); Rob O'Carroll (Lib Dem); Howard Roberts (Lab); Sandra Roberts (Lab); Kuldev Sehra (Lib Dem); Saba Shaukat (Con); Sheba Sogol (Con); Ciaran Tomlin (Lab)