Shropshire Council: Will voters back 'commissioning council' plans?

All 74 seats are up for grabs at Shropshire Council in Thursday's elections

Shropshire Council is facing its first all-out elections since the unitary authority was created in 2009.

Back then, the Conservatives won such a large majority they have been able to push through some fairly radical changes.

The most significant of these is the setting up of IP&E, the company wholly-owned by the council through which it intends to make a profit by selling services.

In stages, thousands of council staff will be moved into the new firm, which will then sell those services to other local authorities and private businesses.

Any profit made will go back into council coffers, turning the authority into what is dubbed a "commissioning council".

If the plan goes through, it will see the council reduce dramatically in size.

With all 74 seats up for grabs that could, in theory, mean wholesale change. In practice however, that would take a large voter swing.

UKIP influence

Neither the Liberal Democrats or Labour are fielding enough candidates to form an overall majority - so any great gains by them would mean some sort of consensus.

The Conservatives currently hold 51 seats, having lost three to their main opposition since the 2009 election.

The Liberal Democrats will be hoping to build on this success, but they have some work to do.

The majority of their 14 seats are in the south of the county, which they will need to hold, and then push their influence north, particularly into the central Shrewsbury area.

This is also where Labour are hoping to gain ground.

They performed badly four years ago, with just seven councillors on the authority - the same number that the Conservatives have already secured this time round due to uncontested seats.

Twenty-two of Labour's 36 candidates are in the central area - they're also contesting every seat on Shrewsbury Town Council.

What is uncertain is the influence of UKIP.

More than half of their 29 candidates are in the south of the county.

If they take some Tory votes this could help the Liberal Democrats, who in turn will be hoping the Green Party don't take too many of their votes.

A full list of candidates in Shropshire Council elections is available here