Local polls open with pressure mounting on Starmer

Highlights

• Around 5,000 council seats being contested across England
• Polls predict losses for Labour and gains for Reform UK
• Pressure mounting on Keir Starmer amid cost-of-living concerns
• Results expected overnight and throughout Friday

POLLING stations opened across the UK on Thursday in local and regional elections expected to increase pressure on prime minister Keir Starmer and his Labour Party.

Voting began at 7:00 am across England, Scotland and Wales in elections seen as Labour’s biggest electoral test since its July 2024 general election victory ended 14 years of Conservative rule.

Around 5,000 local council seats are being contested in England, while voters in Scotland and Wales are also electing members to their devolved parliaments.

Opinion polls have predicted losses for Labour, with support shifting towards Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, the Greens and nationalist parties in Scotland and Wales. The results are also expected to renew questions over Starmer’s leadership and his ability to govern.

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“It’s a huge barometer for how the country is feeling about this political establishment,” Melanie Garson, associate professor of politics at University College London, said.

“We’ve got, for the first time, significant pressure on the main political parties across every single council.”

Polls will close at 10:00 pm, with some results expected overnight and most declarations due later on Friday.

Labour returned to power less than two years ago after years of Conservative governments marked by austerity, Brexit and economic instability under former prime minister Liz Truss.

But Starmer’s government has faced criticism over policy decisions and its handling of issues linked to former Labour figure Peter Mandelson. Mandelson was removed as British ambassador to the United States after controversy surrounding his links to late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and business connections with Russia and China.

British police arrested Mandelson in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office, though he has not been charged and does not face allegations of sexual misconduct.

Starmer has also faced criticism over the economy, with many voters continuing to deal with high living costs and energy prices.

“The change hasn’t been delivered, or change that has been delivered has been negative,” Garson said.

Starmer, 63, has rejected calls to step down and said there was a “clear choice” for voters.

“Unity or division. Progress versus the politics of anger.”

In a Substack post at the weekend, he wrote: “We can rise to this moment together – become a stronger, more resilient and more united nation with opportunities for all, or we can sink into the politics of grievance and division.”

“The answer to this moment, to the world we face today, is not passive government nor is it the populists who look out at the world and offer only easy answers that would make us weaker, or bankrupt. This is a time for patriots.”

He also promised an “active, interventionist government”.

Reform UK is expected to make gains in England and could emerge as a major opposition force in Scotland and Wales. Polls suggest the party is running close to Plaid Cymru in Wales, while surveys in Scotland indicate Reform could push Labour into third place behind the Scottish National Party.

“The message is clear: if you want real change, you’d better vote for it, and we go into tomorrow feeling pretty optimistic about our prospects,” Farage said.

The Greens are also expected to gain support in London and other urban areas, attracting voters unhappy with Labour’s stance on Gaza.

Pollster Robert Hayward predicted Labour could lose around 1,850 of the roughly 2,550 local authority seats it is defending, while Reform could gain around 1,550 seats from Labour and the Conservatives.

Kemi Badenoch said Britain’s political landscape was changing.

“The two-party era has moved into a multi-party era,” Badenoch told PA news agency. “But the fact is none of these new parties or Labour have a plan for the country.”

Labour lawmakers and activists have reportedly faced anger from voters during campaigning, increasing pressure on Starmer and his team in Downing Street.

British media reports have suggested figures including Angela Rayner, Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham could emerge as possible successors if pressure on Starmer grows.

Some Labour lawmakers are also reportedly considering asking Starmer to set a timetable for his departure. However, replacing him would require backing from 20 per cent of Labour MPs to trigger a leadership contest.

Former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson urged party members not to move against Starmer.

“I would tell them not to be as reckless as we were,” Watson wrote in a Substack column.

“Firstly, it will not work,” he said. “Secondly ... voters will see a party talking to itself while the country is shouting at it.”

Starmer has insisted he will lead Labour into the next general election, expected in 2029.

(With inputs from agencies)