2026 Local Elections Thread

[Horizon22]

Isn't it more that it's just cheaper? If Council staff count overnight they get paid for it and paid at a higher rate of pay. If they count during their normal working hours however then it's just their normal pay?

Also general exhaustion - a lot of the count staff have been working throughout the day already!

Where I am, turnout was definitely up and there were certainly people who don't vote or indeed very rarely vote who seemed to come to vote quite early on in the day before the more "traditional" voters. I'd suggest many of the people who ticked the turnout up, almost certainly were heavily Reform. Also I challenge how well informed they are - I certainly saw "Starmer Out" stickers around... but like it or not they have a right to vote, even if they are completely detached from local issues.

 

[Purple Train]

And also, why are Reform not doing so well in more multicultural areas (like my own ward, for example, where they came third behind the Lib Dems and Tories, with less than half of the vote of the winning Lib Dems)?

Not everyone around here has a secure and comfortable job, nor is insulated from the cost-of-living crisis. Yet tolerance for people from different backgrounds seems to be high.

It seems that Bishop Auckland really needs to be blaming neoliberal economic politics for their lot, not liberal social politics or immigration. How will Farage help Bishop Auckland? Drive out the 3% immigrants and 2% non-white people, and then it will become a utopia in his mind?

I think you have the issue the wrong way round. 98% white areas perceive immigration as a threat, while multicultural areas already know that it isn't. It's about stopping what they fear might happen, rather than changing what has.

What we need is an intelligent conversation, not the kind of ranting, reactionary rubbish spewed on Facebook and TikTok, headed of course by the real elite, and the people Reform is doubtless very much in bed with.

I agree very much, but I don't think that calling Reform voters "moronic" and "idiotic", as has been done on this thread, will help. I do believe that it's a racist party, but that doesn't mean that everyone who votes for it is racist, and extreme generalisations such as this won't help create an intelligent conversation. As a fellow leftist I am also frightened by Reform, but name-calling is totally counterproductive in my view. I certainly can't believe how people could vote Reform, but then of course not everyone shares our values, and that's not automatically a bad thing.

 

[Andyh82]

Reform have won Essex from the conservatives

Reform had 0 seats they now have 52, Conservatives lost 40 now have 11, other parties have penny numbers (5 wards still to declare)

 

[nw1]

I think you have the issue the wrong way round. 98% white areas perceive immigration as a threat, while multicultural areas already know that it isn't. It's about stopping what they fear might happen, rather than changing what has.

I agree very much, but I don't think that calling Reform voters "moronic" and "idiotic", as has been done on this thread, will help. I do believe that it's a racist party, but that doesn't mean that everyone who votes for it is racist, and extreme generalisations such as this won't help create an intelligent conversation. As a fellow leftist I am also frightened by Reform, but name-calling is totally counterproductive in my view. I certainly can't believe how people could vote Reform, but then of course not everyone shares our values, and that's not automatically a bad thing.

I see what you're saying, my surprise is that I did think that Trump's war and its international economic impact (remembering that Reform were cheerleaders for Trump, and possibly still are in private) might scare people off voting for a Trumpist party, more so than last year.

That, and such abhorrent events as the Minneapolis shootings. I also thought the Greens would gain an equivalent number of seats, meaning no rightwards swing overall.

But as another poster said above, it is perhaps encouraging that they have dropped from around 40% to around 30%, and their gains this time are partly at least due to the fact that many of these councils were not up for election last year. Mine, for example, wasn't - we couldn't vote in 2025.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 May 2026 ==

Reform have won Essex from the conservatives

Reform had 0 seats they now have 52, Conservatives lost 40 now have 11, other parties have penny numbers (5 wards still to declare)

Given much (not all, I know) of Essex is affluent, commuter belt country, I think that proves that Reform voters are not solely from the working-class! That seems to be the main line of Reform and its supporters in convincing us they are not bad: look at us, we have salt-of-the-earth voters, unlike those awful other parties. If that was the case, why would large middle-class and affluent swathes of the likes of Essex vote for them?

 

[bleeder4]

What we need is an intelligent conversation about the real causes of the problems, not the kind of ranting, reactionary rubbish

Says the poster who, earlier today in this thread, posted "anyone who voted Reform performed a brainless, vacuous, moronic act.". Not really the kind of language that invites an intelligent conversation.

 

[nw1]

Says the poster who, earlier today in this thread, posted "anyone who voted Reform performed a brainless, vacuous, moronic act.". Not really the kind of language that invites an intelligent conversation.

Well, an intelligent voter would realise our problems are most likely to do with the economic consequences of three wars and a pandemic, is it any wonder many of us are extremely frustrated? Especially at people's apparent failure to take the actions of Trump into consideration when voting?

 

[greatkingrat]

Tyseley & Hay Mills ward in Birmingham has what must be the lowest winning vote share ever!

Green 20.5%, Labour 17.3%, Lib Dems 17.3%, Reform 16.1%, Workers Party 14.3%, Conservative 11.3%, Your Party 3.4%

 

[Horizon22]

Given much (not all, I know) of Essex is affluent, commuter belt country, I think that proves that Reform voters are not solely from the working-class! That seems to be the main line of Reform and its supporters in convincing us they are not bad: look at us, we have salt-of-the-earth voters, unlike those awful other parties. If that was the case, why would large middle-class and affluent swathes of the likes of Essex vote for them?

Only some of Essex is like this (Chelmsford voted mostly Lib Dem), it also has a particularly right-leaning social demographic, even if financially better off. It's where Farage, Jenrick and Badenoch's seats are of course. The Tories won in Harlow and doing some digging it seems to be they are winning on a pro-regeneration slant and saw off Reform comfortably.

 

[DerekC]

Hampshire is split Tories 27/LD 26/Reform 20/Labour 1/Greens 1/Others 2. (Don't have the percentages yet). It will be interesting to see who does a deal with who to form a majority - or will the Tories carry on as a minority? That might be the kind of question that arises at national level in three years' time.

 

[ainsworth74]

Reform have won Essex from the conservatives

Reform had 0 seats they now have 52, Conservatives lost 40 now have 11, other parties have penny numbers (5 wards still to declare)

As suggested above. Whilst the headline is obviously "Labour make the Hindenburg disaster look like a small local camp fire" the Tories are getting a really pounding as well. I think Tory extinction remains underpriced.

Tyseley & Hay Mills ward in Birmingham has what must be the lowest winning vote share ever!

Green 20.5%, Labour 17.3%, Lib Dems 17.3%, Reform 16.1%, Workers Party 14.3%, Conservative 11.3%, Your Party 3.4%

We'll see a lot of Westminster constituency results that look like that in 2029 unless something changes...

 

[jfollows]

Jaywick in Essex is “the most impoverished neighbourhood in England” from various sources, including https://livingwagecommission.org.uk/poorest-uk-places/

 

[nr758123]

Only some of Essex is like this (Chelmsford voted mostly Lib Dem), it also has a particularly right-leaning social demographic, even if financially better off. It's where Farage, Jenrick and Badenoch's seats are of course.

No, Jenrick's seat is elsewhere. Specifically Newark, which as Jasper Carrott used to say in his stand-up routine, is an anagram.

 

[THC]

Only some of Essex is like this (Chelmsford voted mostly Lib Dem), it also has a particularly right-leaning social demographic, even if financially better off. It's where Farage, Jenrick and Badenoch's seats are of course.

The Lib Dems' reasonable performance in running Chelmsford City Council gives them a credibility and a track record that carried over to the county elections here. Coupled with their success in retaining control in Brentwood, this augurs well for their chances of controlling the new Mid Essex unitary when that goes live in 2028.

The Tories won in Harlow and doing some digging it seems to be they are winning on a pro-regeneration slant and saw off Reform comfortably.

I made this point above in post #56. Compare and contrast to the picture in Basildon, where its combative leader, in trying the same approach came unstuck last night. Labour losses mean they are no longer the largest party; it's them and the Tories on 12 seats, Reform on 11 and a handful of others. So Basildon, that most swing of councils, swings once more before abolition.

THC

 

[Horizon22]

As suggested above. Whilst the headline is obviously "Labour make the Hindenburg disaster look like a small local camp fire" the Tories are getting a really pounding as well. I think Tory extinction remains underpriced.

I think because the Tories already took an absolute pounding in last 2 years, it's gone under the radar. They are losing from an already low base, expect where they are defending delayed county elections like Essex / Suffolk / Norfolk / Surrey.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 May 2026 ==

No, Jenrick's seat is elsewhere. Specifically Newark, which as Jasper Carrott used to say in his stand-up routine, is an anagram.

Sorry not Jenrick, Holden. Oh and of course, Priti Patel!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 May 2026 ==

Jaywick in Essex is “the most impoverished neighbourhood in England” from various sources, including https://livingwagecommission.org.uk/poorest-uk-places/

And it has been for over a decade.

 

[RT4038]

Well, an intelligent voter would realise our problems are most likely to do with the economic consequences of three wars and a pandemic, is it any wonder many of us are extremely frustrated? Especially at people's apparent failure to take the actions of Trump into consideration when voting?

No doubt there will be others who are extremely frustrated with the 'progressives, left-wingers, and liberals' who fail to take into account the consequences of their policies on others when voting.....

 

[MrJeeves]

So once these "issue people" have been dealt with, everything will be great again... or it won't, but it will then be "people with blue socks"...

Never the people who think there's an issue. It could never be them. It's always someone else.

 

[Strathclyder]

In Scotland where the first results have been trickling in since around lunchtime (no word on the results from my local area - Clydebank & Milngavie - yet), most so far have been SNP holds unsurprisingly - Kilmarnock & Irvine Valley, Carrick, Cumnick & Doon Valley, Dundee City West & East, Midlothian North, Perthshire South & Kinross-shire, Perthshire North, Aberdeen Central & Aberdeen Deeside & North Kincardine - with the Lib Dems holding onto the Orkney Islands.

The SNP unseating the Lib Dems in Shetland is the biggest headline in the Scottish elections thus far however; it's the first time a Liberal - no matter what form the Liberal Party has taken - hasn't represented the islands since 1950.

 

[SuspectUsual]

Sorry not Jenrick, Holden. Oh and of course, Priti Patel!

And of course Holden was a parachute candidate last time round, because he was frit of losing his seat of North West Durham. He changed his candidacy not long after declaring he was "bloody loyal to the north east"

 

[oldman]

The SNP unseating the Lib Dems in Shetland is the biggest headline in the Scottish elections thus far however

To make up for that Labour has taken the Western Isles from the SNP - maybe the Calmac effect!

 

[GusB]

I've created a new thread for the Scottish results:

Scottish Parliament Election 2026

In Scotland where the first results have been trickling in since around lunchtime (no word on the results from my local area - Clydebank & Milngavie - yet), most so far have been SNP holds unsurprisingly - Kilmarnock & Irvine Valley, Carrick, Cumnick & Doon Valley, Dundee City West & East...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[nw1]

No doubt there will be others who are extremely frustrated with the 'progressives, left-wingers, and liberals' who fail to take into account the consequences of their policies on others when voting.....

And what consequences are these? Trans women using women's toilets, as if that's the end of the world? Bus lanes? Cycle lanes?

I cannot think of a single way in which the left, progressives or liberals have made life more difficult in the UK for a long time. Perhaps if I had been an adult in the 1970s I might have thought otherwise, but I was not (couldn't vote until '92).

Just about every bad thing in politics in recent decades that I can think of, both here and in other western countries, be it promotion of war, austerity and cuts, or anti-immigration, has been driven by right-wing or conservative politics. This does include Labour governments, it has to be said - I am not absolving Labour from blame, for point of clarification.

 

[martin butler]

Some people unfortunately are easily swayed, a headline here, a headline there, and they are convinced that we are full to overflowing with extreme Islamists, A friend of mine, falls under this description, just the other day he said, their taking over, I asked who, them Muslims he said then i asked him how many then live down our road, (I know of 3, and none of them hold extremist views), he couldn't answer, but remained convinced that our road was all Muslim's. Against this type of ignorance what can you do. ?

So its the same with Reform/ renew. remove, and whatever rehashed national socialist inspired rhetoric is being bombasted from the media outlets macarading as news .

 

[Broucek]

And what consequences are these? Trans women using women's toilets, as if that's the end of the world? Bus lanes? Cycle lanes?

I cannot think of a single way in which the left, progressives or liberals have made life more difficult in the UK for a long time. Perhaps if I had been an adult in the 1970s I might have thought otherwise, but I was not (couldn't vote until '92).

Just about every bad thing in politics in recent decades that I can think of, both here and in other western countries, be it promotion of war, austerity and cuts, or anti-immigration, has been driven by right-wing or conservative politics. This does include Labour governments, it has to be said - I am not absolving Labour from blame, for point of clarification.

OK, I'll bite. (I'm not denying that there are not problems on the right, just answering your question)

1. The more extreme end of the trans rights agenda (I'm not thinking of toilets) has damaged the interests of women and led to some chindren having life altering medical treatment which may not have been in their long-term interests
2. The increases to the minimum wage and employer's national insurance in the last budget have made it harder for young people to find work, just as AI introduces head-winds to the labour market
3. A failure to set out clear limits to multiculturism. For example, spelling out the FGM or Sharia Courts are not acceptable in the UK
4. Largely uncontrolled immigration leading to strain on housing costs and public services (a left wing policy, albeit one that the Conservatives also followed)
5. A failure to consider the impact of putting people on long-term sickness benefits who could be encouraged back to work - this isn't just about cost: work is a social good and (on average) good for mental health

 

[AlterEgo]

I mean they don’t hold Northern England in contempt. I mean maybe Putin does but not for the same reasons Islington would.

They’re not part of the British cosmopolitan/graduate
establishment I am referring to

Why would Putin or Trump or Netanyahu hold northern England in contempt? What a bizarre way of framing victimhood.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

Why would Putin or Trump or Netanyahu hold northern England in contempt? What a bizarre way of framing victimhood.

It was a joke about geopolitics, never mind.

 

[styles]

Yes the quality of political process knowledge (and really education) is sometimes shockingly poor. There are some people who do seem to think that Nigel Farage will be PM following this election. My local council had to put out a post on Facebook explaining there were no elections in our area this year and there were a couple of comments along the lines of "Well why not?!". No actual conspiracy theories that I could see but no doubt some will have been thinking that it was some sort of plot. Another one that was painful was during the review of Westminster constituency boundaries a few years ago was the number of people complaining that they didn't want to be moved from Redcar to Middlesbrough because of the quality of council services provided by Middlesbrough council and how they've always lived in Redcar and so why should they now have to live in Middlesbrough. Clearly not grasping that this process had nothing to do with Council (or even postal!) boundaries at all...

This has been a thing for as long as I've had an interest in politics or voting.

I remember canvassing with a political party when I was 18 and it was for a single seat council by-election. You'd knock on doors and people would say something like, "Oh I won't vote for your lot after the way they voted on Syria.", all the while you're trying to convince them they're just voting for someone who decides how often your recycling is collected or whether you get a cycle lane on the high street.

On the whole I think most people have a broad understanding of the difference between say UK Parliament and local authorities, but it can get a bit muddled in England and Wales with people not knowing what's a devolved matter or not.

 

[Purple Train]

It was a joke about geopolitics, never mind.

I get what you were trying to say, and I do agree with you on that score.

 

[Gloster]

To me it seems that part of Reform’s success is that it has got out many voters who either didn’t vote in the past or just voted automatically. These voters are not particularly sophisticated, don’t really understand the political system or how voting works and don’t know what local government does, but can be easily swayed by dis- and misinformation. They have come out this time and voted because of well-directed propaganda that plays on their fears and misunderstandings.

N.b. this is only some Reform voters, but in quite a few places they are enough to tip the balance.

 

[Broucek]

I'm seeing lots of stuff here and elsewhere about dozy, low information, semi-racist Reform voters.

It would be good for the "respectable" parties to understand what Reform voters are concerned about and consider whether there are appropriate policy responses.

(Arguably Hillary Clinton's contemptuous attitude to MAGA-type voters was a strong factor in Trump Round 1 and we know what that led to...)

 

[Trackman]

None of those were the Green targets to be fair - Hackney and Lewisham will be more indicative.

In the polls (pollcheck) it has Greens taking Lewisham. Bear in mind Labour held all 54 seats previously.
I've used pollcheck before, its fairly accurate and I have been comparing recent results with predictions.
Counting in Lewisham doesn't start until Saturday.