Smaller parties bang drum for fishing, hospitals and more people power

Fifty-seven political parties have been registered since the start of the year, hoping to challenge the might of Labour, Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats in local elections.

The applications to the Electoral Commission from England, Scotland and Wales range from single-issue protest parties to groups of independents hoping to win power on their local authorities.

The list includes parties standing on a "stop the war" ticket, a ratepayers' associations and a campaign against hospital closures.

The Fishing Party, set up by a Scottish fisherman, aims to highlight the plight of the beleaguered fishing industry while John Marek, the deputy presiding officer of the Welsh Assembly, has set up a political party after being deselected as the official Labour candidate in Wrexham.

Also fighting for seats in Scotland is the People's Alliance, set up by Howard Hodgson, a funeral business tycoon, and a group of former senior Conservatives. The party promises to allow 16-year-olds to become MPs and to give the public the right to vote on all new legislation. It also proposes to issue smartcards to entitle people to vote and claim benefits

The Bristolian Party, based on a satirical magazine, is contesting 12 out of the 24 seats on Bristol City Council on a manifesto that includes moving homeless families into the flats at the centre of the Cheriegate affair. Its website bills the party as "the only party that is based in Bristol and doesn't have its HQ in London or take orders directly from party leaders in London". One candidate, Julien Weston, said: "We don't have a party line. We are a non-aligned group of independents in favour of devolving more power to a local level."

In the Ribble valley, Lancashire, the Idle Toad Party is putting up six candidates. Its leader, Tom Sharratt, a former journalist, said he expected all of the party's candidates to be successful.

Mr Sharratt sits on Lancashire County Council and the party, which sends a newsletter to 10,000 homes, has several parish council members. Mr Sharratt said the party was based on dissatisfaction with the performance of traditional parties. He said: "People are fed up with local people being given promises to change the world.

"People like being told what is going on. They don't like being kept in the dark."