UK

Sadiq Khan casts his vote in the London Mayoral electionSign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailPolling stations have opened in England for local elections viewed as the final big test of public opinion ahead of the general election.Elections are taking place in 107 local authorities across the country, with 2,636 seats up for grabs. Voters will also choose the mayor of London, London assembly members and 10 other mayors outside the capital.There is also a by-election taking place in Blackpool South following the resignation of former Conservative MP Scott Benton. Voters in England and Wales will also choose new police and crime commissioners.Polling suggests that the mayoral contests in Tees Valley and West Midlands are on a knife edge and will be closely watched in Westminster for their potential ramifications in a national vote.Forecasts say the Tories could lose up to half the 1,000 or so council seats they are defending and rebels opposed to Rishi Sunak’s premiership have warned they would move against him if the results were poor.But business secretary Kemi Badenoch insisted the prime minister’s position was safe, claiming he has “the full backing of the Cabinet”. Show latest update 1714661312Local elections 2024: At-a-glance guide to results and declaration times When to expect results for 107 councils, 11 mayors, the London The results of Thursday’s elections are being declared over several days, starting shortly after polls close and ending on Sunday, 5 May.Here is a summary of all the key contests and times: Matt Mathers2 May 2024 15:481714659710Local election results: Ask John Rentoul anything as public opinion is tested ahead of general electionThe Independent’s chief political commentator John Rentoul is on hand to answer all your questions about the local elections.Follow the link below for more details on how to get involved in the conversation:Matt Mathers2 May 2024 15:211714658782Matt Mathers2 May 2024 15:061714658108Forbes and Swinney held ‘frank and constructive’ talks before leadership announcementsTalks between Kate Forbes and former deputy first minister John Swinney, she said, were “both frank and constructive”.“What emerged was that we share a powerful common purpose for the country,” she added.“That includes a passion to revitalise our party, reach out to those who feel disempowered and reinvigorate the independence movement.“It also includes an understanding that economic growth and tackling poverty must again be key priorities, and that a just transition to ‘net zero’ must work with, and not against, our communities and businesses.“But more than that, John is clear that he is determined to return the SNP to governing from the mainstream. Competent, candid government earning the trust of the people.“That was the vision I offered in the last leadership contest, and is evidently demanded by the Scottish public.”Matt Mathers2 May 2024 14:551714657455Veteran cards will be added to list of approved voting ID – No 10The government says it intends to add the new Veteran Cards to a list of approved identification for voting.A government spokesperson said: “Our intention is for the new Veteran Card, which was rolled out in January 2024, to be added to the official list of recognised identification – and we are already consulting on this. Defence Identity cards for serving Armed Forces members are already accepted.“The introduction of the requirement to show photographic identification for voting in person across Great Britain is in line with longstanding arrangements in Northern Ireland and elsewhere, and has been recommended by international election watchdogs, including the Electoral Commission.“The vast majority of voters in the polling station – 99.75 per cent – cast their vote successfully at the local elections in England in May 2023, and we are confident that they will be able to do so at these polls.” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailThe results of Thursday’s elections are being declared over several days, starting shortly after polls close and ending on Sunday, 5 May.Here is a summary of all the key contests and times.Thursday 2 MayPolls close across England and Wales in elections for 107 local authorities, 37 police & crime commissioners, 11 mayors, the London Assembly and the Blackpool South parliamentary by-election.Around a third of councils are due to declare overnight, including Bolton and Hartlepool, where Labour is hoping to win overall control, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock – key tests of Conservative and Labour popularity in Essex – and Redditch in Worcestershire, where the Tories could lose their majority if the party’s vote collapses.The result of the Blackpool South by-election is likely to be declared halfway through the night, with Labour tipped to gain this marginal seat from the Conservatives, in what would be the Tories’ 11th such defeat so far this parliament.Three police & crime commissioner (PCC) results are also due, for Avon & Somerset, Cumbria and Lincolnshire, all of which were won comfortably by the Tories at the last PCC elections in 2021, so it would be a shock if any changed hands.Here are the unofficial, estimated times for these results.By-election:Expected halfway through the nightCouncils:- 12.30am Broxbourne- 1.30am Hartlepool, Rochford, Sunderland- 2am Bolton, Gosport, Ipswich, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, North East Lincolnshire, South Tyneside, Wigan- 2.30am Chorley, Eastleigh, Fareham, Hart, Oldham, Portsmouth, Rushmoor, Southend-on-Sea- 2.45am Exeter- 3am Harlow, Kingston-upon-Hull, Lincoln, Sefton, Tameside, Thurrock- 3.15am Reading- 3.30am Colchester, Gateshead, Redditch, Stockport- 4am Peterborough, Plymouth- 4.30am Southampton- 5.30am WinchesterPolice & crime commissioners:- 1.30am Cumbria- 2.30am Avon & Somerset- 3am LincolnshireFriday 3 MayCounting begins in the morning for almost all the remaining councils in England, along with most PCCs and four of the mayoral elections: East Midlands, North East, Tees Valley and York & North Yorkshire.Key council results include Dudley, where Labour could become the largest party if the Conservatives are doing badly; Solihull and Walsall, where the Tories could lose overall control; Sheffield, which is likely to see a three-way tussle between Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens over who ends up the largest party; Cannock Chase, where the Tories and Labour are currently tied; and Brentwood and Wokingham, where the Lib Dems are hoping to win an overall majority.A few council results will arrive late on Friday, including Dorset, Elmbridge in Surrey and Gloucester: all places where the Liberal Democrats are hoping for big wins in “blue wall” territories. Bristol is also due to declare, where the Greens are already the largest party but could take full control.Of the four mayoral results due this afternoon, most eyes will be on Tees Valley, where Conservative incumbent Ben Houchen is hoping for a third term and whose re-election would give a boost to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in what could otherwise be a grim set of polls.Some 24 PCC results are due, with Plaid Cymru keen to hold on to its one post in Dyfed-Powys and Labour looking to make gains from the Tories in areas such as Cleveland, Humberside and Lancashire.Councils:- 11am Norwich- 12pm Blackburn with Darwen, Walsall- 12.30pm Castle Point, Havant- 1pm Cannock Chase, Manchester, Watford, Welwyn Hatfield- 1.30pm Burnley, Preston, Sheffield, West Oxfordshire- 2pm Basildon, Brentwood, Hyndburn, Knowsley, Nuneaton & Bedworth, Rossendale- 2.30pm Crawley, Rochdale, Solihull- 3pm Barnsley, Hastings, Kirklees, Maidstone, Rotherham, Three Rivers- 3.30pm Halton, Milton Keynes, Sandwell, Trafford- 4pm Adur, Bury, Calderdale, Cheltenham, Epping Forest, Pendle, St Albans, Swindon, Tunbridge Wells, Woking, Wokingham- 4.30pm Dudley, Leeds, Wakefield- 5pm Basingstoke & Deane, Bradford, Cambridge, Coventry, Oxford, Runnymede, Tandridge, Worthing- 5.30pm Rugby, Wolverhampton, Worcester- 5.45pm Cherwell- 6pm Mole Valley, North Hertfordshire, Reigate & Banstead, Stevenage, Tamworth- 6.30pm Bristol, Elmbridge- 7pm Dorset- 8pm West Lancashire- 10pm GloucesterMayors:- 12pm North East- 12.30pm Tees Valley- 2.30pm East Midlands- 3pm York & North YorkshirePolice & crime commissioners:- 1pm Gwent, North Wales- 1.30pm Humberside- 2pm Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, Hampshire, Suffolk- 3pm Bedfordshire, Devon & Cornwall, Dyfed-Powys, Norfolk, Surrey- 3.30pm Leicestershire- 4pm Essex, Lancashire, Northamptonshire, South Wales, Staffordshire- 4.30pm Northumbria- 5pm Cleveland, Durham, Gloucestershire, Nottinghamshire- 6pm Derbyshire, West MerciaSaturday 4 MayCounting begins on Saturday for some of the most high-profile contests of these elections: the mayoral contests in Greater Manchester, London and the West Midlands, along with counts for the mayors of the Liverpool City Region, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Salford, plus eight more PCCs, three councils and the London Assembly.By early afternoon the outcome of the London mayoral election should start to become clear, with each of the 14 constituencies across the capital due to report their results and show whether Labour’s Sadiq Khan has won a third term in office.A strong Labour performance in the capital could see the party gain the London Assembly seat of West Central, where the Conservatives are defending a majority of just over 2,000.The Tories will be hoping Andy Street holds on as mayor of the West Midlands and helps offset losses elsewhere, including in the PCC elections where Labour could take back Cheshire.Councils:- 4pm North Tyneside, Stroud, WarringtonMayors:- 12pm Liverpool City Region- 1.30pm London (results announced by local area, followed by overall total later; indicative picture expected by this time) – 2pm South Yorkshire- 3pm West Midlands- 3.15pm West Yorkshire- 4pm Greater Manchester- 5pm SalfordPolice & crime commissioners:- 12pm Hertfordshire- 2pm Thames Valley- 2.30pm Warwickshire, West Midlands- 3pm Cheshire, Dorset- 3.30pm Merseyside- 4pm WiltshireSunday 5 MaySalford is the 107th and final council due to declare, along with the PCCs for Kent and Sussex plus any late results from the previous days.Councils:- 3pm SalfordPolice & crime commissioners:- 3.30pm Sussex- 4pm Kent More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailKate Forbes has announced she will not be standing as the next leader of the Scottish National Party, following days of speculation.The former Scottish cabinet minister has ruled herself out of the leadership contest just hours after her colleague and former deputy SNP leader John Swinney announced his intention to stand.In a tweet thread posted on social media site X, Ms Forbes said: “I have listened very carefully to the vision @JohnSwinney set out this morning for Scotland. I welcomed, and embrace, his commitment to ensure internal respect for robust and divergent debate in the party, which is the lifeblood of any democratic institution like the SNP.”She added: “I can therefore today announce that I will not be seeking nomination as the next SNP leader.”Mr Swinney announced his intention to stand for election as leader of the Scottish National Party.Announcing his decision during a press conference, the MSP and former deputy first minister of Scotland said: “I intend to stand for election as leader of the Scottish National Party.“I want to build on the work of the SNP government to create a modern, diverse, dynamic Scotland. That will ensure opportunity for all of our citizens.”Mr Swinney also said he wants Ms Forbes to be part of his new government team, describing her as an “intelligent, creative person who has much to contribute”.It had been widely anticipated that the former cabinet minister would run again after she narrowly missed out at the previous leadership contest to Humza Yousaf.Kate Forbes has announced she will run not for SNP leader More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailSenior SNP insiders have told The Independent that there is a succession plan in place to prevent the party from moving to the right under a potential Kate Forbes leadership in the future.Ms Forbes has ruled herself out of making a second bid for the leadership in just over a year in a move which should ensure former deputy first minister John Swinney is unopposed as a replacement Humza Yousaf.But senior party sources have claimed that Mr Swinney, who was previously leader in a disastrous period for the SNP between 2000 and 2004, is “only a stop gap” option until the next Scottish Parliament election in 2026.An SNP MP, who is an ally of Mr Yousaf and his predecessor Nicola Sturgeon, has told The Independent that the plan is for the party’s current Westminister leader Stephen Flynn to be parachuted in as “the long term option” for leader at the Holyrood election.The aim appears to be to ensure that Ms Forbes, who narrowly lost to Mr Yousaf last year, does not become leader of the party.Kate Forbes will not be running as SNP leader this time (Jane Barlow/PA) More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailSupport for the Conservatives is now lower than it was under failed prime minister Liz Truss, despite Rishi Sunak’s hopes of the “greatest comeback in political history”. Despite a flurry of government announcements in recent days, on everything from Rwanda flights to defence spending and welfare, a new poll has the party on just 18 per cent. The YouGov survey, completed on Wednesday, puts Labour on 44 per cent, Nigel Farage’s Reform UK on 15 per cent and the Lib Dems on 10 per cent, with the Greens at 8 per cent and the SNP 2 per cent. The polling firm said the result meant that the Tory share of the vote was now “lower than under Liz Truss”, when it sank to 19 per cent. The party is also only three points ahead of Reform, which will heighten Tory fears the party could take enough votes to hand seats to Labour. When Mr Sunak replaced her as prime minister, the move was designed to steady the ship and improve his party’s fortunes. But the latest poll will add to his woes, after what has been widely seen as one of Mr Sunak’s best weeks in No 10, as voters go to the polls in local and metro mayor elections, the results of which could decide his premiership. Failure to hold mayoralties in Tees Valley and West Midlands are expected to bolster rebel Tory moves to try to oust him from office. On Monday he urged Conservative Party faithful to take part in “the greatest comeback in political history” in the elections, an admission of the uphill battle he faces. Rishi Sunak More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailVoters head to the polls today in a series of local elections seen as the final test of public opinion ahead of this year’s looming general election. Most of the 2,636 seats up for re-election were last contested in 2021, at the peak of Boris Johnson’s popularity as the Covid-19 vaccine was rolled out.Voters will be choosing the mayor of London, members of the London assembly, police and crime commissioners across England and Wales, and electing 10 other mayors in places outside the capital.As I outlined here, the Conservative Party is likely to see a significant drop in the number of seats they hold on councils. However, all eyes are turning towards a handful of important mayoral races, where Prime Minister Rishi Sunak might find some comfort.The main event is undoubtedly Sadiq Khan’s attempt to win an unprecedented third term as mayor of London. While the outcome seems certain, the focus will be on how much his victory margin falls short of what Labour had hoped for.If you have a question on the local elections or, once they come in, the results, submit it now, or when I join you live at 1pm on Friday 3 May for the “Ask Me Anything” event.Register to submit your question in the comments box under this article.Scroll down or click here to leave your comment.If you’re not already a member, click “sign up” in the comments section to leave your question. For a full guide on how to comment click here.Don’t worry if you can’t see your question – they may be hidden until I join the conversation to answer them. Then join us live on this page at 1pm as I tackle as many questions as I can. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailJohn Swinney has announced his intention to stand for election as leader of the Scottish National Party.Announcing his candidacy during a press conference, the MSP and former Deputy First Minister of Scotland said: “ I intend to stand for election as leader of the Scottish National Party. “I want to build on the work of the SNP government to create a modern, diverse, dynamic Scotland. That will ensure opportunity for all of our citizens.He added: “I want to unite the SNP, and unite Scotland for independence.”Mr Swinney also said he wants fellow leadership frontrunner Kate Forbes to be part of his new government team, describing her as an “intelligent, creative person who has much to contribute”.Mr Swinney’s announcement follows the resignation of former leader Humza Yousaf earlier in the week, who stepped aside following a decision to collapse a power-sharing agreement with the Scottish Greens.The once-dominant nationalist party is now undergoing a process to appoint a new leader.John Swinney has announced he will run to become the next SNP leader and first minister More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailA Tory MP has begged local members in his constituency for help after he was caught short without voter ID ahead of local elections. Tom Hunt, MP for Ipswich asked local members to act as his “emergency proxy” after he found that he had no appropriate ID to vote in the local council elections.In a screenshot of a Whatsapp conversation, published by ITV political correspondent Harry Horton, Mr Hunt is seen asking for help from members following a “bit of drama”, adding: “Turns out I have no appropriate ID to vote tomorrow”.He is then seen asking for help from Tory members: “However. There is an emergency proxy option if you lose your ID. Deadline tomorrow. Who would like to do the honours?”Mr Hunt is the first MP to publicly fall foul of new controversial Voter ID rules which means people must provide a valid form of ID in order to cast their vote at the ballot box.The Electoral Commission warned that the new regulations could make it harder for people to vote, while London mayor Sadiq Khan warned the introduction of ID requirements is “designed to rig the next election” by stopping younger and historically marginalised people from voting.Research has found that groups most likely to be affected by the new voter ID rules are more likely to back Labour.Now, the screengrab shows the outspoken Tory MP is one of many likely to be affected by the new constrictions and has needed to resort to an emergency proxy to cast his vote. In certain circumstances, where you have an emergency that means you can’t vote in person, you can apply for an emergency proxy. Emergency proxy applications can be made up to 5pm on polling day.Tom Hunt, Conservative MP for Ipswich, has found himself without valid ID ahead of local elections More