AS voters prepare to make their voices heard on 5 May, we meet the lead candidates standing for the Mid and West Wales regional seats.

The regional candidates are elected via proportional representation and cover an area of Wales that stretches from Llanelli to Pwllheli.

Aled Davies Conservative

Aled Davies is the lead Conservative candidate for the Mid and West Wales regional list at the upcoming elections in May.

Leader of the Welsh Conservative Group on Powys County Council, Mr Davies is also county councillor for Llanrhaeadr ym Mochnant and Llansilin.

Neil Hamilton UKIP

Neil Hamilton, 67, is the former MP who tops UKIP’s Mid and West Wales regional list and has labelled his party the “true nationalist party of Wales”.

A former alumnus of Aberystwyth University who was brought up in Wales, Mr Hamilton was MP for Tatton, Cheshire until 1997.

Alice Hooker-Stroud Green Party

As leader of the Wales Green Party, Alice Hooker-Stroud is the youngest leader of any political party in the UK, and will be standing as the party’s lead Mid and West Wales regional candidate.

Ms Hooker-Stroud, who lives in Machynlleth and graduated with a degree in earth and system science and physics, has an extensive CV including experience of campaigning, science communication, and academia.

Simon Thomas Plaid Cymru

Simon Thomas, who was Ceredigion’s Plaid Cymru MP from 2000 to 2005, has been chosen as the party’s lead Mid and West Wales regional candidate for the 2016 Assembly Elections.

A former student of Aberystwyth University, Mr Thomas was first elected to the assembly at the 2011 election as a regional member for Mid and West Wales, and is also a constituency candidate in Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire.

William Powell Liberal Democrat

Topping the Welsh Liberal Democrats’ Mid and West Wales regional list is William Powell, who is also the party’s candidate for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr and shadow minister for the environment and agriculture.

An experienced teacher of French and German having studied modern languages at Oxford University, Mr Powell now lives with his family on their farm near Talgarth, Powys.

Joyce Watson Labour

Joyce Watson, who was educated at Cardigan Comprehensive School, was first elected to the Welsh Assembly in 2007 and will stand again as Labour’s lead Mid and West Wales regional candidate.

Having also run businesses in Ceredigion, Mrs Watson, who studied politics at Swansea University, hopes to capitalise on her local knowledge.

Other parties on the regional list are Abolish the Welsh Assembly; Association of Welsh Local Independents; People First-Fighting for Wales; The Official Monster Raving Loony Party; Welsh Christian Party “Proclaiming Christ’s Lordship”; and the Welsh Communist Party-Y Blaid Gomiwnyddol Gymreig