Local elections: voters head to the polls across England UK politics live
Guardian20 hrs
England Heads to the Polls in Local Elections
Above: Members of the public head to their local polling stations to vote in the local council elections for their next council leaders on May 1, 2025 in Folkestone, U.K.. Image copyright: Andrew Aitchison/In Pictures via Getty Images
The Spin
Left narrative
Today's local elections show the rot at the heart of British politics. Labour and the Tories are two faces of the same failed system – clinging to austerity, privatization, and cruel immigration policies, while Reform thrives in the void they’ve left. Only a bold, leftwing alternative rooted in grassroots class solidarity and public investment can stop the far right and rebuild trust in democracy.
Pro-establishment narrative
Thursday’s local elections will offer insight into public sentiment, but their national impact is easy to overstate. With many seats last contested in 2021, results may simply reflect a delayed reaction to changing sentiment over the last four years. Reform UK may gain ground, but turning votes into seats remains a challenge. Fragmentation, low turnout, and mixed mandates will define this political moment.
Establishment-critical narrative
Voters are seeking change because they’re fed up with a political class that’s ignored them for decades. Labour and the Tories have delivered higher taxes, weaker borders, woke policies and broken services. While Badenoch seeks to reinvent her party, Farage offers something different — real leadership, national pride and the courage to challenge a failing status quo. Time will tell if the electorate takes note.