Local elections are taking place across England on Thursday 7 May, with more than 5,000 council seats up for grabs in 136 local authorities. This is the largest set of local elections in England for three years and a key test for all political parties.
How many council seats are being elected?
A total of 5,013 seats are being contested across the 136 authorities, including some of the largest cities and the whole of London. A mix of urban authorities, rural districts, and several county councils are also holding elections.
When were these seats last elected?
Most seats were last up for election in 2022, when the Conservative government under Boris Johnson was trailing Labour in the polls and losing support due to the Partygate scandal. The 2022 local elections saw Labour, the Liberal Democrats, and Greens all make gains at the Tories' expense. Reform UK contested only a small number of seats and won just two.
How many seats is each party defending?
Labour is defending 2,557 seats, the Conservatives 1,362, the Liberal Democrats 684, and other parties (including independents) 410. This contrasts with last year's elections, where the Tories defended the most seats due to county council dominance. The numbers include notional defending parties for seats affected by boundary changes, calculated by professors Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher.
What do polls and recent trends suggest?
Analysis by Rallings and Thrasher suggests Labour could lose over 1,000 councillors if it performs as poorly as in May 2025, when both Labour and the Tories lost seats to Reform, Liberal Democrats, Greens, and independents. Labour's vote share in local by-elections has fallen by an average of 25% since May 2025, which could push losses closer to 2,000. The Conservatives face particular risk in six county council elections, where Reform could make significant gains. Reform, the Lib Dems, and Greens are all expected to make net gains overall.
What challenges face the main parties?
Local elections affect community issues like bin collections, social care, education, and roads, but also reflect national concerns such as the cost of living, economy, migration, and foreign affairs. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch face the challenge of limiting losses. Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey, Reform leader Nigel Farage, and Green leader Zack Polanksi aim to make gains and meet supporter expectations.
When will results be declared?
Polls close at 10pm on 7 May. Around a third of councils will count and declare results overnight, while most will begin counting on Friday 8 May and announce results in the early afternoon. A few councils may not finish until Saturday 9 May.
Other elections on the same day
Elections are also being held in Scotland for the Scottish Parliament and in Wales for the Senedd.
