Voters across England are going to the polls for local elections and the Runcorn and Helsby by-election today in the first major test for Sir Keir Starmer’s government.
They will also be an important test for Nigel Farage and Reform UK to see if their high poll ratings since last summer translate into real votes.
The Tories are also set for a difficult day defending more than 900 council seats across the country while lagging behind both Labour and Reform in most polls.
A total of 1,641 council seats are up for grabs in 23 local authorities across England, with the Tories defending 954 of them.
A key test for all parties will be in the six mayoral contests for the West of England, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, North Tyneside, Doncaster, Greater Lincolnshire, and Hull and East Yorkshire.
And maybe the biggest test of all will be the Runcorn and Helsby by-election, called because of the departure of former Labour MP Mike Amesbury after his conviction for assault.
Polls will be open from 7am until 10pm.
Analysis | Tories facing biggest challenge in today’s elections
Here is some analysis from our Whitehall editor Kate Devlin:
It is the Conservatives who face the most difficult challenge in today’s local elections. The last time this particular set of council elections was held was at the height of Boris Johnson’s “vaccine bounce”.
Since then, Partygate and a series of other scandals have reversed the party’s fortunes, leaving it out of power in Westminster for the first time since 2010.
But Labour could also struggle in certain seats. Despite its momentous rise to power at the general election last summer, the party has made a series of controversial decisions since then, including scrapping winter fuel allowance for millions of pensioners and sweeping welfare and international aid cuts, that could trigger a backlash from voters.
Reform’s candidate for Doncaster mayor leaves polling station
Reform’s mayoral candidate in Doncaster, Alexander Jones, was pictured leaving the polling station.
Video report: The famous faces standing in the local elections in your area
Record-breaking heat as voters head to the polls
Those heading to the polls today are doing so in a haze of record-breaking heat, with the Met Office confirming Thursday as officially the hottest start to May on record in the UK.
A temperature reading of 28C was recorded at Kew Gardens in southwest London, beating the previous record of 27.4C in Lossiemouth, Moray, on 1 May 1990.
Where are mayoral elections taking place?
Four combined-authority mayors are being elected today, for Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, Greater Lincolnshire, Hull & East Yorkshire and the West of England.
Two of these are brand new roles, in Greater Lincolnshire and Hull & East Yorkshire.
Labour is the incumbent party defending the other two mayoral roles, for Cambridgeshire & Peterborough and the West of England.
In addition, two single-authority mayors are being elected, in Doncaster and North Tyneside, both of which are currently held by Labour.
Voters cast ballots at caravan polling station
One enjoyable aspect of UK elections is the variety of locations which can serve as polling stations.
In Whitehall Gardens, Cambridge, voters can cast their ballots at a caravan:
The famous faces standing in the local elections in your area
Local councillors are usually obscure figures, passionate local activists hoping to improve their areas or ambitious party loyalists wanting to climb the electoral ladder.
But among the thousands of councillors standing across the country on Thursday, a few names stand out.
From Olympians to ousted ex-MPs, The Independent looks at how the main parties are hoping star power will help their candidates over the line in one of the most unpredictable sets of local elections in British history.
Our political correspondent Archie Mitchell reports:
Farage claims political ‘earthquake’ in sight
Reform leader Nigel Farage told a rally in Staffordshire on Wednesday night that the elections would see his party eclipse the Conservatives as the main opposition party in England.
Predicting a political “earthquake”, he claimed: “Tomorrow is the day that two-party politics in England dies for good.”
Who is eligible to vote?
In order to vote in local elections in England, people must be:
- Registered to vote
- Aged 18 or over on the day of the election
- Registered at an address in the area you want to vote in
- Not legally excluded from voting
Dogs at polling stations tradition in good health
The age-old tradition of dogs at polling stations shows no sign of abating today. Here are some of the latest pictures:
