We checked out the candidates battling for your vote on Thursday

Haven’t given the elections much thought yet? Don’t worry, we had a look at the local candidates to give you an overview.

If you have decided to vote in this constituency and not back home, then here is our unbiased and totally professional analysis of the local candidates.

Mark Williams – Liberal Democrats

He is currently your local MP for Ceredigion since 2005. Originally from Hertfordshire, he studied at the International Politics Department here in Aber before teaching primary school kids.

In his modest opinion he “helped thousands of local people with their problems” and heroically “‘protected’ Wales from the Tories”.

Seriously though, the figures are on his side. He seems to be doing an alright job.

Key policies:

• £800 tax cut for 1.4 million Welshmen and campaigning for further £400 cut
• Affordable homes to make it easier for first-time buyers
• £2000 child benefits for 83,000 Welsh families
• Determined to tackle mental health issues across the UK

Swing needed:
In order to keep his mark he needs to hang on to his 9,000 majority of voters.

Chances of winning:
69% – not bad

Our prediction:
He has good chances of winning, although Plaid Cymru are not far behind.

Vote for him if:
You like tax cuts, are a first-time buyer of houses or about to start a family in the local area.

Mike Parker – Plaid Cymru

He is from Birmingham and currently lives in Montgomeryshire. He considers himself a “Cymro o ddewis – a Welshman by choice”.

Previously he was a freelance travel guide writer, standup comedian and TV presenter for ITV Wales. We checked out his travel guides…probably a better idea to go into politics, Mike.

Key policies:

• Raise wages for workers in Ceredigion
• Protect public services
• Strengthen the rural economy
• Improve public transport

Swing needed:
Plaid currently holds 28% of votes and needs an extra 10,000 votes to win.

Chances of winning:
22%, a considerable amount.

Our prediciton:
He appears to be the only challenger to Lib Dem Mark Williams in the area.

Vote for him if:
You work in Ceredigion and want more money, you want to protect the hospital or are sick of travelling to and from Aber.

Henrietta Hensher – Conservatives

Educated in posh Buckinghamshire she now lives in Carmarthen. She tried to become MP for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr in 2007 & 2011 and is now trying her luck up in Ceredigion. Fun fact: She loves baking.

Key policies:

• Standing up for Welsh farmers
• Looking after pensioners
• Support the Welsh NHS and protect its budget

Chances of winning:
2%, maybe she should try her luck in Buckinghamshire. She would need 15,000 votes to win.

Our prediction:
She has to bake a lot of cakes to win over this area. On the plus side, students love cakes.

Vote for her if:
You are worried about the NHS, your granny’s pension and your local farmers. Alternatively, you should vote for her if you like the Great British Bake Off.

Huw Thomas – Labour

Born and raised in Ceredigion, he is a proper local and fluent in Welsh. He’s been a councillor in Cardiff since 2012.Huw has a Masters from Aberystwyth University.

He claims to “have faced the challenges in our area”, whatever those may be. Huw thinks he will give “Ceredigion a strong Welsh voice in parliament” as long as he speaks English.

Key policies:

• Cutting tuition fees
• Reducing the cost of living of ordinary people
• Protecting the NHS and rural economy

Chances of winning:
4%, he needs 18,000 voters. His chances are slim though, as he may have alienated some of the English voters after calling them “casual racists” and the English flag “sickening”.

Our prediction:
It doesn’t look too good for him this time around. However, he has strong voice aimed at students and young people and with a bit more experience he could be someone to look out for in the future.

Vote for him if:
You want future students to pay less and have more money. And if you don’t like the English flag.

Gethin James – UKIP

A former independent candidate he is born and raised in Ceredigion and turned to the dark side in 2014. This switch resulted in him being sacked from Ceredigioun Council by Plaid Cymru.

In his leaflets he seems to put forward the simple answers “Yes” and “No” and does not particularly address any Welsh issue.

Key policies:

• He has a problem with the European Union, but doesn’t explain why
• Control our borders
• Invest in the NHS
• Make the tax system fairer

Chances of winning:
3%, he needs 19,000 votes.

Our prediction:
In a traditionally very left-wing area it is extremely unlikely he will win

Vote for him if:
You think that all your foreign friends at Uni don’t deserve to be here, or you hate the foreign take-aways that are ruining traditional British cuisine and you are a cotton farmer from the 1850s.

Daniel Thompson – Green Party

Daniel is born in Kent but has lived in Ceredigion most of his life. He owns a computer repair shop in Aberaeron. His take: “troubleshooting is not enough; you need to fix the root cause”.

Key policies:

• Supporting Bronglais and funding it with debt free money
• Creating jobs in green technology
• Support local schools

Chances of winning:
1%, he’s new to the job and needs 20,000 votes

Our prediction:
The Greens are expected to do well, however he probably shouldn’t sell his repair shop just yet.

Vote for him if:
You care about the environment and want a job in the area after Uni.
You think Bronglais Hospital needs support.

All candidates obviously try to appeal to students and voters in general. Better to take every promise with a pinch of salt. Happy voting.