IT will soon be time to elect an MP for the Cotswolds.

On May 7, the same day as the General Elections, there will be elections for a new MP, Cotswold District Council, for all parish and town councils in the Cotswolds.

Among the prospective parliamentary candidates are Chris Harlow (UKIP) and Paul Hodgkinson (Lib).

Overall, the number of councillors in the district has been reduced from 44 to 34, with 30 single-member wards and 2 two-member wards. All 34 seats are up for election.

The elections are the first to be conducted since the revision of arrangements and boundaries introduced as a result of a recent electoral review carried out by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England.

There will be 606 seats to be decided in the parish and town council elections.

Around 15 per cent of the 77,000 parliamentary electorate have chosen to vote by post for what will be the biggest combination of elections for around 40 years.

The counting of votes will take place at Cotswold Leisure Centre, Tetbury Road, Cirencester on Thursday 7 and Friday 8 May.

The election process begins with the publication of notices of election on March 23 for the district, parish and town councils, and then on March 31 for the General Election.

Copies of the notices will be available on the council’s website at www.cotswold.gov.uk and at the district council offices in Cirencester, and in each parish.