UK Holds Local and Regional Elections

m. Thursday in local elections across parts of England and parliamentary elections in Scotland and Wales, marking the first significant electoral test for Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government since it swept to power in July 2024. Opinion polls predict difficult results for Labour, which could amplify internal pressure on Starmer, who is 63, and fuel speculation about a potential leadership challenge.

The balloting comes as the party’s popularity has fallen amid a series of controversies since taking office after 14 years of Conservative rule. Nearly 5,000 council seats are up for election in England while voters in Scotland and Wales will choose all members of their respective parliaments under new voting systems.

m. in most places with counting continuing into Friday.

The elections are widely seen as a gauge of whether Britain’s traditional two-party dominance is giving way to a more fragmented political landscape. Voters could turn to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK on the right or the Green Party on the left rather than Labour or the Conservatives.

Reform UK has polled strongly in recent months on an anti-immigration platform while other smaller parties have also gained ground. Several analysts following the campaigns have noted this could confirm the United Kingdom has entered an era of messy multiparty politics.

In Scotland, all 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament are contested. Voters there were also asked in street interviews about the future of their nation within the United Kingdom or as an independent country. Voters cast a single ballot for a party or independent candidate rather than two separate votes as in previous elections.

The contest also allows 16- and 17-year-olds to participate for the second time.

Thursday’s results will be closely watched for any signal that the party’s support has eroded sharply in less than two years. One outlet reported that the vote could hasten the end of Starmer’s term while another described it as a major test that might renew questions over his ability to govern.