WHEN the voters turn out in Southampton's local elections on Thursday they will probably be in a minority.

Unlike the eight out of ten French who filed into polling booths last Sunday, only about one third of residents are expected to do the same here.

Whoever they choose it is unlikely to bring about a controlling majority on the deadlocked city council.

Yet even a small swing could tip the balance, with Tories and Labour holding 16 seats and Liberal Democrats 15 after a recent resignation. It is a knife-edge election.

In recent years turn-out has been as low as 15 per cent in wards such as Bargate where fewer then 800 votes is enough to claim a seat. So a few extra faces will make all the difference Labour has been pulling out all the stops to boost turnout and shore up its bedrock.

Its election chiefs claim - Tories aside in Swaythling - it's the only group fighting aggressive campaigns to win seats from other parties and predicts at least three gains - in a Millbrook double header and in Freemantle. For the first time Labour has printed up leaflets in Polish to pull in migrant votes.

The council estimates there are up to 12,000 eastern Europeans in the city, concentrated in a few wards, most of which are eligible to vote under EU rules.

A proposed "outsourcing" to a private company of council services and about 600 jobs has set up a big election divide. The ruling Lib Dems and Tories claim it's essential to the city to bring in investment, improve services and the conditions of work and prospects for staff.

Labour and others vigorously oppose it saying changes should be made in-house to the same ends.

The party's opposition to the "sell-off" has won it union backing and branches across the city have urged their members, relatives and friends, to vote Labour. It could swing up to 20,000 votes, union leaders say, making it a crunch issue.

Labour would push up council taxes, opponents say, with Lib Dems reviving the spectre of "19 years of neglect" and "wasteful spending" from last time Labour was in office.

Both Labour and Tories are in-turn bashing the four-year-old Lib Dem administration.

They accuse it of being reactive, uncoordinated and gaff prone with little vision.

Recent delays and hitches over major projects, not always the fault of the administration, have provided easy ammunition.

A laser light show for the Civic Centre clock tower was put on hold following objections and waterfront regeneration plans riding on a Las Vegas style casino have been thrown into doubt by the Lords. Plans for a permanent ice rink are now gathering pace although not in the city centre where the vision of an arena and conference centre has been kicked into the long grass.

The Lib Dems can hail the signing of a contract for a flagship arts centre while a planning application from Ikea has come at a handy time.

They cite record GCSE results in the city but have also come under fire for leading a drawn out consultation over a shake-up of secondary schools that caused uncertainty among schools and parents.

It will result in the closure of four secondary schools and the opening two new campuses to remove 1,000 surplus places.

Inevitably much of the campaigning has centred around claim and counter-claim over budget proposals laid out earlier this year.

Lib Dems point to their success over the past four years: £18.5m more in road improvements and boosted recycling rates with an alternate week rubbish collection still an aspiration. It is opposed by the other main parties and will move up the agenda following recent national debate.

Lib Dems trumpet their recent "moderate" 3.3 per cent council tax rise, the lowest in the past decade.

The Conservatives are championing new ideas and a new direction. The party's offer of a ten per cent discount on council tax for pensioners and free bus travel throughout the county is an attempt to appeal to the grey vote.

Populist policies also include a public say on a "large" casino for the city and the fight to save Monks Brook from a proposed gypsy transit site - both also UKIP platforms.

Out of power for 23 years Conservatives point to concessions and campaigns won from the opposition benches from forcing the Lib Dems to lower council tax to pass the annual budget to campaigning to save the popular Cobbett Road library, and securing a lifeline for Oaklands swimming pool.

Elsewhere UKIP has put up five candidates across the city wanting to build on five "essential freedoms" from the EU, petty crime, uncontrolled immigration, bureaucratic politicians and political correctness.

In Southampton it proposes park-and-ride schemes to cut traffic and emissions, tighter controls on multi-occupancy and other development, and more referendums.

Southampton's newest Save Our Services party is fielding two candidates to stop cuts and privatisation and defend pay, jobs and pensions. They want more state funding to end the cycle for budget cuts.

The Greens are having a strong showing with ten candidates.