A total of 200 local authorities across Britain are holding elections on Thursday May 5. Every council seat in Scotland, Wales and London is up for grabs and there are polls across much of the rest of England.
Many of the seats being contested this year were last elected in 2017 and 2018, when the UK was still in the European Union, the prime minister was Theresa May and Labour was led by Jeremy Corbyn. The political landscape of the UK has undergone huge changes in the past few years, but many of the issues that can decide local elections remain the same, such as when bins are collected, the state of parks and pavements, and access to libraries and hospitals.
This year’s elections are also likely to be a verdict on Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, in particular their handling of such national issues as Covid-19 and the cost of living.
