If you’re voting in the general election in Slough tomorrow you’re faced with a bigger choice than usual – 11 candidates.

Most polls suggest Labour’s candidate Tan Dhesi is on course to hold onto his seat for a third time – and he did win with a large majority of 13,640 at the last election in 2019.

But constituency polls – often based on national data applied to a local level – don’t necessarily tell the whole story. And there are a few wildcards in the pack of candidates this time around.

For a start, there are four independents to choose from: Azhar Chohan – backed by the national independent network, two former Conservatives Diana Coad and Chandra Muvvala, and the mysterious Jaswinder Singh.

READ MORE: Slough general election candidates vie for your vote at debate

All of them in some way hope to give voice to frustrations at both Labour – dominant for years in Slough – and the Conservative government.

Mr Chohan has tried to combine anger from some sections of Labour’s supporters over its position on the war in Gaza with other gripes about the party in Slough.

He has criticised Labour for not accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinians, but also of leaving Slough Borough Council ‘bankrupted'. He says Labour has failed to attract investment to revitalise Slough town centre.

There are strong signs that Mr Dhesi considers him a genuine challenge. Labour has designated Slough one of its ‘battleground seats’ where party members are directed to campaign, being told ‘we need your help to hold this seat for Labour.’

On June 25 – three days after the election was called – Mr Dhesi highlighted Mr Chohan’s campaign in a statement appealing to Slough’s communities not to be ‘divided’.

Throughout his campaign Mr Dhesi has emphasised his support for peace in Palestine and his connections to all of Slough’s communities. His team say he’s resolved more than 5,000 issues for Slough residents this year.

Some big Labour names appeared at Mr Dhesi’s election launch – including London mayor Sadiq Khan and former shadow chancellor John McDonnell – underlining the point.

Left wing Mr McDonnell said Mr Dhesi had helped to shift Labour’s position on Gaza towards support for a ceasefire. And Mr Khan spoke of how the Labour MP had lobbied him to make sure the Elizabeth Line stopped in Slough.

Meanwhile, much of the broader debate in Slough has focussed on issues such as Slough’s struggling high street, perceived high rates of crime and anti-social behaviour and the cost of living.

Most of the candidates have in one way or another accused Labour of failing on these issues locally in election debates and interviews with the Observer.

Conservative candidate Moni Kaur Nanda says she will ‘bring back investors’ to Slough’s ‘broken high street'. At a debate Chelsea Whyte of the Liberal Democrats said the Labour council had ‘run Slough into the ground'.

Likewise the Green’s Julian Edmonds says people in Slough had been ‘robbed and swindled’ by Labour. Adnan Shabbir of the Workers Party of Britain has spoken of Slough’s ‘decline’ and Reform UK’s Robin Jackson spoke of ‘15 years of Labour council mismanagement overseen by a Labour MP'.

Independent Diana Coad has spoken of ‘uncaring Labour MPs and the bankrupted Labour council’ while Chandra Muvvala speaks of his local roots.

For his part Mr Dhesi says Slough has struggled because of neglect by the Conservative government. He argued at a debate that things would be different under a Labour government if Slough had a ‘strong Labour voice’ at the heart of it.

How – or even if – all this affects the results in Slough remains to be seen. It could still be that the overwhelming national trend towards Labour overcomes local criticisms - or that enough people trust Mr Dhesi to deliver improvements.

But there’s more going on in Slough than the polls – and perhaps the result – could suggest.

The candidates in Slough are:

  • Azhar Iqbal Chohan - Independent Network
  • Diana Victoria Coad - independent
  • Tan Dehsi - Labour Party
  • Julian Edward Jubal Edmonds - The Green Party
  • Robin Jackson - Reform UK
  • Moni Kaur Nanda - The Conservative Party
  • Chandra Sekhar Muvvala - independent
  • Adnan Shabbir - Workers Party of Britain
  • Jaswinder Singh - independent
  • Nick Smith - Heritage Party
  • Chelsea Whyte - Liberal Democrats