Political battle of Davids vs Goliaths

The Conservatives, Labour, the Liberal Democrats, UKIP, the Greens and the SNP are all hoping they will have a role to play in forming a government after May 7.

But if none of the big hitters are attracting your vote, there are other parties out there who have candidates standing across the Black Country and Staffordshire.

They range from radical protest organisations to those standing on single issues. Alternatively there are a couple of independent candidates who are completely unaffiliated.

Those living in the Aldridge Brownhills constituency have the choice of voting for the Monster Raving Loony Party.

Candidate Mark Beech told the Express & Star he got into politics to get his moat cleaned, but admitted he was also attracted by the salary and pension.

And those voters in Lichfield could punt for anarchist candidate Andy Bennets. He will be on the ballot paper representing Class War which has put forward candidates as "a furious and co-ordinated political offensive against the ruling class".

There are two candidates standing under the banner of the National Health Action Party, launched in 2012 in opposition to the coalition's NHS reforms.

Former nurse Karen Howell, who has fought for services to remain at Stafford Hospital, is standing in the town.

And ex-doctor Richard Taylor is standing in Wyre Forest where he stormed to victory in 2001 by campaigning to restore the A&E department at Kidderminster Hospital. He was defeated in 2010 but is trying his luck once more.

In Dudley North Rehan Afzal is standing for a party called Apni and in Stone John Coutouvidis is an independent candidate.

On the left of the political spectrum, the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) have put forward David Pitt in Dudley North and Pete Smith in Walsall North.

Mr Smith is the current mayor of Walsall and long-standing councillor in the borough. It is the third time the 64-year-old has stood for a smaller party, having stood for Walsall-based Democratic Labour (DLP) in 2005 and 2010.

He admits fighting for a smaller party presents real difficulties.

"The fight for us really is David vs. Goliath," he said. "We are David and the main parties are Goliath.

"We are skint. We can't afford glossy leaflet after glossy leaflet - although people are probably sick and tired of them by now. We can really only afford one leaflet for the parliamentary election and one for the local council election.

"It means we are facing a real uphill battle."

The retired school teacher was, for many years, a member of the Labour party. But he became frustrated when, in his view, the party under Tony Blair ditched its socialist principles.

As a TUSC candidate he claims he and the organisation can offer an alternative to public sector cuts.

But he admits getting this message across to voters can be difficult.

He added: "The TUSC haven't got a party history or big bags of money.

"But we have managed to get 130 candidates and because of that we have been entitled to a party political broadcast, which will be going out on Friday on all the major channels.

"Other than that, because of the lack of money, communication is limited. But we hope people will look at the TUSC website where there is an awful lot of information about what we are doing.

"If only we could get our message across in the same way as the main parties I think it would be very attractive to ordinary working people who feel they are paying the price for the bankers' failings."

Mr Smith admits that fighting an election campaign without the backing of swathes of local members and party funding is a struggle.

So why do candidates outside of the major parties stand for election, when there is only a slim chance of victory and no possibility of forming a government?

Brian Booth, a retired photographer, is standing as an independent in Wolverhampton South West.

"I have thought that a lot myself, what is the point," he said. "The thing is it is important for everyone that there is a choice so it is not simply a walkover.

"I decided to stand mainly to express my view and to represent people who feel they are not being represented.

"A lot of people are looking at the two main parties and are not seeing anything for them in what they are proposing."

Mr Booth, aged 67, also feels the coalition government have cut spending too fast, and has a particular desire to rejuvenate Wolverhampton, the city where he was born.

He too has struggled without party backing, having gone door-to-door largely on his own.

But if elected, he believes, as in independent in Westminster, he would offer his constituents the best service.

He said: "As an independent there is no party policy which you are compelled to follow. It makes you more willing to take on the views and opinions and desires of the constituents.

"When you are a member of a party, especially the larger ones, you have to play ball and if you don't you will be deselected at the next election.

"And with the whip system if you vote against the bosses you never get a top job.

"As an independent you will never get so much power in Parliament but you can speak your mind and attempt to influence things that way."

Wanting to fight for local causes is often the reason election candidates outside the main parties battle on against all odds.

Walsall North hopeful Mr Smith, added: "Once elected many MPs disappear and become nothing more locally than case workers once a month.

"What have any of the MPs in Walsall actually achieved for Walsall? It would be difficult to find answers to that.

"I am Walsall born and bred. This is my town and it would be good to have a local representative. I would champion the cause of Walsall and it is Walsall which would be on my lips."

You are unlikely to see them on TV and voters may be completely ignorant they are standing until they read their name on the ballot paper.

But many independent and candidates from smaller parties argue they can offer a stronger local voice in Parliament than their mainstream opponents.

But does the voting public believe them? Only time will tell.