This year’s local elections will be a major test for all four major party leaders. The votes across England for council, mayor and the Runcorn by-election will finally prove whether the national polls are right.
Keir Starmer once again finds himself a lucky general, as there aren’t many Labour heartland areas up for grabs. By contrast the Tories, under Kemi Badenoch, are believed to be on course for an enormous bruising and could lose more than half the council wards they are defending. Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, must prove he can translate media attention and national poll popularity to real world votes.
Meanwhile the Liberal Democrats, led by Sir Ed Davey, are also on the march and hoping to decimate the Conservatives in their middle class heartlands in the south and south west.
There are more than 1600 councillors set to be elected. On top of that there are multiple metro mayors, with races in Doncaster and East Yorkshire being closely watched as Reform’s top targets.
Labour could receive a major bloody nose, however, in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election in Cheshire.
It was called after former Labour MP Mike Amesbury stood down following a suspended prison sentence for assaulting a constituent.
While it’s one of the safest Labour constituencies in the country, Nigel Farage has vowed to put on a big show and run Labour close. A defeat for Keir Starmer here could have major implications for his leadership.
Meanwhile the Tories’ performance is expected to once again spark disunity and speculation about Kemi Badenoch’s position in the top job.
Some parts of England won’t see any voting in their area due to some local councils being reorganised. In these areas, voting has been postponed with Nigel Farage accusing Labour and the Tories of colluding to prevent elections where Reform is polling strongest.
People planning to vote in the 2025 local elections have been warned that in order to be eligible for voting, they must be registered by midnight on Friday, April 11. On top of the requirement to be registered, voters are also being warned that they must remember to bring a form of photo identification with them to the polling station.
Passports, driving licences and blue badges are accepted forms of identification when going to vote.
Use our interactive map below to see if your area has local elections this year, or see the full list beneath.
Full list of councils hosting elections:
County councils
• Cambridgeshire
• Derbyshire
• Devon
• Gloucestershire
• Hertfordshire
• Kent
• Lancashire
• Leicestershire
• Lincolnshire
• Nottinghamshire
• Oxfordshire
• Staffordshire
• Warwickshire
• Worcestershire
Unitary authorities
• Buckinghamshire
• Cornwall
• County Durham
• North Northamptonshire
• Northumberland
• Shropshire
• West Northamptonshire
• Wiltshire
Metropolitan district
• Doncaster
The Isles of Scilly, which has a unique governance structure, is also holding a local election of its own.
Additionally, about 1,270 parish councils will be holding elections.
