Local residents will decide the fate of more than 1,500 seats in 23 local government bodies in England, including county councils, unitary authorities and city offices, on Thursday.
This is the first major vote since July 2024, when the Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer, won the general election and ousted the Conservatives, ending their 14-year rule.
Experience shows that the first local elections are a good indicator of how well the new government is performing. This will be more difficult now, as most councils are in regions that traditionally vote Conservative, so the results of the current elections will be more indicative of how highly voters rate the performance of the new Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, who has held the post since November 2024.
According to opinion polls, the right-wing populist Reform UK party is in first place. The ruling Labour Party is in second place. The Conservative Party is in third place. Polling stations will open at 7 a.m. local time and will remain open until 10 p.m. Some 13.5 million people are eligible to vote. The first results will be known tonight.
In 2025, elections are being held only in England, affecting 23 of the 317 local authorities, including 14 county councils, eight unitary authorities, one metropolitan borough and the local government of the Isles of Scilly; the English will also elect mayors in six areas and members of more than 1,200 parish church councils. In total, more than 1,600 seats are up for grabs.
