With May’s local elections now just days away, there’s all to play for as the PM looks the surety of his position in the wake of PartyGate, and an insurgent Labour look to make gains that’ll put them on good footing for the general election.
Polling for the next general election has shown the Tories have suffered a big slump, and Labour have been the main beneficiaries. Keir Starmer’s poll lead is not insurmountable; indeed, mid-term poll leads for opposition parties are expected, but it is substantial enough. POLITICO’s poll of polls shows the opposition six points ahead of the government.
Not everyone will get a vote, May the 5th, as most English councils were last up for election in 2018. However, all local authorities in Wales and Scotland, as well as London are up for grabs, as well as some in England, and at the same time Northern Ireland’s Assembly elections will take place. For more information on how local elections work, you can check out the government website.
Small parties will be looking to make breakthroughs too. The Liberal Democrats traditionally do well where councils are concerned, and have historically forged a strong base in local government, that they use to springboard attempts to win over parliamentary constituencies. No doubt the likes of Reclaim, Reform, and the revived SDP will also be keen to prove their electoral worth by nabbing seats.
But ultimately these elections in and of themselves aren’t as seismic as a general election, but they will send a loud message to the parties from the voters, which could seal the fate of Boris Johnson if things go horribly wrong for his party.
So we’re asking you, when thinking about the two main parties, what’s going to happen with May’s local elections? Vote in our poll and have your say below.