Labour and Conservatives Struggle as Far-Right Gains Ground in England’s Local Elections

Voters across England began casting their ballots on Thursday in pivotal local elections, the first since the Labour Party’s sweeping general election victory in July 2024. More than 1,600 council seats and six mayoral positions are up for grabs across 23 local authorities, with the results expected to serve as a major political barometer.

Fourteen county councils, eight unitary authorities, and one metropolitan council (Doncaster) are holding elections, alongside mayoral races for areas including Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Greater Lincolnshire, Hull and East Yorkshire, and the West of England. Additionally, a parliamentary by-election is being held in Runcorn and Helsby following the resignation of Labour MP Mike Amesbury.

The Conservative Party, which currently holds over half the contested council seats, is bracing for significant losses, while Labour faces its first electoral test under Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Reform UK, the Liberal Democrats, and the Green Party are also eyeing gains. Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. local time and will close at 10 p.m. (2100 GMT).