LEADING lights of two political party youth movements will go head to head for a seat on Swindon Council next month.

Toby Elliott, 22, the leader of Wiltshire Conservative Future, and Chris Ward, 21, the leader of Swindon Liberal Youth, will both contest the Moredon seat.

The seat was left vacant when Tory councillor Stephanie Exell resigned last month in protest over the administration’s raft of cuts, which she said would hit the most vulnerable hardest.

Mr Ward, of Popplechurch Drive, Covingham, said: “I was quite surprised to see another person in their twenties standing for the seat and then I noticed he was the leader of the Wiltshire Conservative Future.”

Mr Ward will also be standing against Labour’s candidate Jenny Millin, who contested the Covingham and Nythe seat in the May elections.

The third year history student at the University of Gloucester-shire said: “We’ve carried out residents’ surveys over the last few weeks and every local election we’ve fought we are fighting to represent them in a better way than they currently are.

“The Lib Dems will try to knock on every door at least once a year and ask people what their opinions are.”

Mr Elliott, who lives with his parents at their home in Phoebe Way, Oakhurst, and is a hospitality manager at the Wyvern theatre, said he was looking forward to standing for election for the first time.

“I am really passionate about politics – trying to help the everyday person and get things done,” he said.

“Whether it’s getting potholes filled in, getting trees cut or helping them find funding.”

Mrs Millin, 53, a retired council technical worker who lives in Bramble Road, Elgin, with her husband, said she was looking forward to building on the impressive 6.8 swing she generated for Labour in the Covingham and Nythe election earlier this year, despite Richard Hurley (Con) eventually winning the seat.

“I worked very hard in a strong Tory ward and I was able to increase our vote by 6.8 per cent which was a personal triumph for me.”

She was selected from an all-female Labour list and says she will be fighting for the NHS and did not want to see it turned too commercial.

Finally Bill Oram, 50, who lives with his mother and brother in Bourne Road, Moredon, will be standing for UKIP.

Mr Oram is self-employed making science fiction collectors’ models of characters in shows from the 1960s such as Thunderbirds.

He said he was drawn to UKIP for their tough stance on crime and thinks criminals should be properly punished.

But he said he would be campaigning for community services like libraries and community centres as well as on problems like potholes and anti-social behaviour.

The Moredon by-election will be held on November 4 and polling stations will be at the Tawny Owl Pub, Moredon Community Centre and Rodbourne Cheney Primary School.