Since the last time most of these seats were claimed in 2018, the political landscape has changed significantly. In England, both Labor and the Conservatives have replaced their leaders in the UK, while the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the cost of living crisis have all hit. While local issues are sure to weigh, the UK election will be seen as a test of Boris Johnson’s leadership following the Partygate scandal and the government’s handling of the cost-of-living crisis. Recent polls suggest Labor has a slight lead over Conservatives. In Scotland, Labor status is also a major issue. There, Labor hopes to replace the Tories as the country’s second-largest party after the SNP. Successive polls this year show he is well on his way to doing so, with Partygate seriously hurting trade union support for the Tories. However, national polls have limited use in local elections, which are held only in certain parts of the country. In England, most of the seats will be claimed in London – 1,817 seats in 32 boroughs – where Labor controls the vast majority of councils. Outside the capital, a wide variety of councils are up for election: 33 metropolitan councils covering 904 seats. 21 unified principles, with 627 seats. 60 regional councils (1,011 seats). Six mayors will also be elected to London boroughs and one to the South Yorkshire Combined Authority. In Scotland, there are 1,219 seats on 32 single councils, while in Wales there are 1,234 seats on 22 councils. The fact that many English metropolitan areas, as well as every London council, are up for election means that the Conservatives could fight in the traditional Labor strongholds. In all, Labor will defend 69 councils across England, Wales and Scotland, compared to the Conservatives’ 47. Bar chart of councils defended by party Northern Ireland elections will also be held on 5 May. The poll puts Sinn Féin, a party campaigning for a united Ireland, on track for a historic victory, making it the largest party in Stormont.
Basic battlefields
With the next general election fast approaching, Labor will hope that this election will show signs of recovery that they can create. To do so, Labor will have to make ground in the constituencies it lost in 2019 – several of which overlap with councils based in the 2022 local elections. In all, there are 11 councils in England and Wales that the Guardian has deemed necessary for Labor to see at least some gains if they want to have high hopes of returning to power. All this saw the Conservatives overthrown in the 2019 general election and have opportunities for Labor to fight at least with full control away from the Tories. This is especially true of the four Welsh councils, where Labor will hope to build momentum following the strong results of last year’s Welsh parliamentary elections. If Labor fails to win those seats, especially after the latest developments at Partygate, which fined Johnson for violating his own coronavirus regulations, serious questions will be raised about Keir Starmer’s ability to win the next general election. .
