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Thousands of voters head to the polls in England on Thursday for local elections viewed as the final big test of public opinion ahead of the general election.
Elections are taking place in 107 local authorities across the country and voters will also choose the mayor of London, London assembly members and 10 other mayors outside the capital.
There is also a by-election taking place in Blackpool South following the resignation of former Conservative MP Scott Benton. Voters in England and Wales will also choose new police and crime commissioners.
Polling suggests that the mayoralties in Tees Valley and West Midlands are on a knife edge and will be closely watched in Westminster for their potential ramifications in a national vote.
Forecasts say the Tories could lose up to half the council seats they are defending and rebels opposed to Rishi Sunak’s premiership have warned they would move against him if the results were poor.
But Kemi Badenoch, the business secretary, told broadcasters the prime minister’s position was safe regardless of the outcome.
“I think there’s a lot of noise being made by people who want to get attention but the prime minister has the full backing of the Cabinet, he has my full backing,” she said.
Key Points
- Elections in 107 local authorities
- Mayoral contests also taking place
- Tees Valley and West Midlands mayor contests on a knife edge
- Tories could lose half their seats
- Sunak’s position safe regardless of results - business secretary
Send ‘out of touch' Tories a message on Thursday, Lib Dems urge voters
Thursday’s local elections are a chance for voters to send “this out of touch Conservative government” a message, the Lib Dems have said.
Party leader Sir Ed Davey, who has visited so-called “blue wall” areas during the campaign, added: “In former Conservative heartlands like Tunbridge Wells, Dorset and Wokingham voters are switching to the Liberal Democrats after years of failure from this Conservative government.
“Every vote for the Liberal Democrats is a vote to elect a strong local champion, who will fight for a fair deal for you and your community.”
Matt Mathers1 May 2024 18:50 1714583384
No threat to Sunak after local elections, says Badenoch
Rishi Sunak’s position is not under threat regardless of the outcome of Thursday’s local elections, a cabinet minister has said.
Forecasts suggest Thursday’s local elections could see the Conservatives lose up to half of the council seats they are defending in a contest seen as the final test of public opinion ahead of the general election.
Full report:
No threat to Sunak after local elections, says Badenoch
The local election campaign has entered its final day of campaigning ahead of the vote on Thursday.
Matt Mathers1 May 2024 18:09 1714583230Tories losing West Midlands and Tees Valley at mayoral elections would ‘set vultures circling’, Sunak warned
Rishi Sunak has been warned that losses in the Tees Valley and West Midlands mayoral elections would “set the vultures circling”, with restless Tory MPs agitating for a leadership challenge.
On the weekend reports emerged of a Tory plot to replace the PM with Penny Mordaunt, Mr Sunak has been warned that the unseating of Ben Houchen and Andy Street in next Thursday’s contests could further damage his standing.
Full report:
Tories losing Houchen and Street would ‘set vultures circling’, Rishi Sunak warned
The prime minister faces a further blow to his leadership if Ben Houchen and Andy Street are both unseated in Thursday’s contests
Matt Mathers1 May 2024 18:07 1714583134Local elections always difficult for incumbents, says Sunak
Rishi Sunak has insisted local elections are “always difficult” for incumbents as he braces for potentially disastrous local election results.
Forecasts suggest Thursday’s local elections could see the Conservatives lose up to half of the council seats they are defending, having lost a third of seats last year.
Full report:
Local elections always difficult for incumbents, says Sunak
The Conservatives face a possible drubbing at Thursday’s local elections, which Rishi Sunak insisted were ‘always challenging’ for incumbents.
Matt Mathers1 May 2024 18:05 1714583046Hope and affirmation
Politicians and canvassers are campaigning for the final time ahead of tomorrow’s local elections.
The polls are the final test of public opinion at the ballot box ahead of the next general election, which Rishi Sunak has said will come in the second half of 2024.
Political scientist Professor Sir John Curtice told the BBC’s Newsnight programme that as the Tories and Labour brace for the elections “one side is looking for hope, and the other is looking for affirmation”.
He added: “For Rishi Sunak he is trying to give his party a glimmer of hope that maybe not all is lost for the general election that we are now all expecting to happen in the autumn.
“For Sir Keir Starmer, he is in a sense looking for affirmation of the message of the opinion polls that the Labour Party is indeed so far ahead, that it looks now like… Sir Keir Starmer is likely to be the next prime minister.”
Matt Mathers1 May 2024 18:04 1714582744
Good afternoon and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of Thursday’s local elections.
Elections are taking place in 107 local authorities across England and voters will also choose the mayor of London, London assembly members and 10 other mayors outside the capital.
We’ll bring you all the action as it happens - stay tuned for the latest updates.
Matt Mathers1 May 2024 17:59Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
