The candidates for next month's European Parliament elections have been announced, with 61 people vying for the eight available seats in the North West.

Voting is due to take place in all EU countries between May 23 and May 26.

Because Brexit negotiations are still ongoing, the UK is required to put steps in place to take part in the elections, despite its planned withdrawal from the European Union.

UK voting could be cancelled in the event that the UK reaches a withdrawal agreement before polling day.

But if the elections go ahead here, polling will take place on Thursday, May 23 between 7am and 10pm.

In the North West, parties have put forward up to eight candidates each.

Polling will see voters asked to vote for the party they would like to see win - or in the case of an independent candidate, for that person.

The seats will then be allocated in proportion to the number of votes case for each party or independent candidate.

Those standing are:

Change UK - The Independent Group: Andrea Cooper, Dan Price, Arun Rammoy Colin Banerji, Michael Stewart Taylor, Philippa Olive, Victoria Ann Desmond, Andrew Paul Graystone, Elisabeth Malisa Knight.

Conservative and Unionist Party: Sajjad Haider Karim, Kevin Michael Beaty, Jane Elizabeth Ann Howard, Arnold Saunders, Wendy Maisey, Thomas Baxter Lord, Anthony Pickles, Attika Salim Choudhary.

English Democrats - "Putting England First!": Stephen Morris, Valerie Morris.

Green Party: Gina Dowding, Wendy Kay Olsen, Jessica Ayesha Northey, Geraldine Philomena Coggins, Rosie Mae Mills, Astrid Johnson, Daniel Adam Jerrome, James Andrew Booth.

Labour Party: Theresa Mary Griffin, Julie Carolyn Ward, Wajid Iltaf Khan, Erica Ruth Estelle Lewis, David John Brennan, Claire Emily Cozler, Saf Ismail, Yvonne Marion Tennant.

Liberal Democrats: Chris Davies, Jane Elisabeth Brophy, Helen Foster-Grime, Anna Corrina Fryer, Sam Al-Hamdani, Rebecca Ann Forrest, John Studholme, Frederick Van Mierlo.

The Brexit Party: Claire Regina Fox, Henrik Eyser Overgaard Nielsen, David Richard Bull, Gary Walter Harvey, Ajay Jagota, Elizabeth Oyedoyin Babade, Sally Ann Bate, John Howard Kelly.

UK European Union Party (UKEUP) - UK EU Party: Sophie Catherine Larroque.

UK Independence Party (UKIP) - UKIP Make Brexit Happen: Adam Fox McCloud Richardson, Jeff Armstrong, Fiona Rachel Mills, Nathan Alan Ryding, Michael James Felse, Ben Robert Fryer, John Charles Booker, Alexander Alan Craig.

Mohmmad Aslam - Independent: Mohmmad Aslam.

Tommy Robinson: Tommy Robinson.

Votes will be counted locally before being collated in Manchester by the regional returning officer for the North West.

Results will be announced on Sunday, May 26, once voting has concluded across Europe.