Voters across Scotland, Wales, and many parts of England will head to the polls on Thursday, May 7, in what is set to be the largest set of contests in the United Kingdom since the 2024 general election. Millions of eligible citizens will cast ballots in elections for the Scottish Parliament, the Senedd in Wales, 136 councils in England, and six mayoral positions.
What Elections Are Taking Place?
On May 7, elections will be held for the Scottish Parliament and the Senedd in Wales, along with 136 local authorities and six mayors in England. In Scotland, voters will elect members to the 129-seat Parliament in Edinburgh, which has law-making powers over health, education, housing, policing, transport, the environment, and certain taxes. In Wales, voters will choose members of the Cardiff-based Senedd, which has expanded from 60 to 96 seats. The Senedd legislates on health, education, transport, and the environment, among other areas. Six local mayors are being elected in Croydon, Hackney, Lewisham, Newham, Tower Hamlets, and Watford. The 136 English local authorities include all 32 London boroughs, 48 district councils, 18 unitary authorities (such as Hull, Milton Keynes, Portsmouth, and Southampton), 32 metropolitan boroughs (including Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, and Newcastle), and six county councils: East Sussex, Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, and West Sussex. Over 5,000 seats are up for grabs across these authorities.
Candidate Numbers
Labour is fielding nearly 4,900 candidates in the English local elections, just ahead of Reform with close to 4,800, and the Conservatives with just over 4,700. The Greens have almost 4,500 candidates, and the Liberal Democrats just under 4,000. Over 2,000 candidates represent minor parties, independents, or residents' groups. In Scotland, the SNP, Labour, Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, and Reform all have candidates in each of the 73 constituency seats, while the Greens contest only six. In the eight regional seats, each returning seven members, all major parties are fielding candidates. In Wales, a new voting system divides the country into 16 super-constituencies, each sending six members to the Senedd proportionally. Labour, Conservatives, Lib Dems, Plaid Cymru, Reform, and Greens have full slates in all constituencies.
Seats Defended by Each Party
In England, Labour is defending just over half of the council seats up for election, reflecting its strength in London and metropolitan boroughs, while the Conservatives defend just over a quarter. This contrasts with last year's local elections, where the Tories defended the most seats due to county council dominance. The Liberal Democrats defend around 700 seats, the Greens nearly 200, and Reform 80, mostly from by-election wins or defections. Boundary changes in Scotland mean some seats are unchanged, while others are new, renamed, or reshaped. At the 2021 election, the SNP won 64 seats (one short of a majority), Conservatives 31, Labour 22, Greens eight, and Liberal Democrats four. In Wales, the Senedd's enlargement to 96 seats and new voting system prevent direct comparison with 2021, when Labour won 30 seats (one short of a majority), Tories 16, Plaid Cymru 13, and Lib Dems one.
Polling Station Details
Polling stations open from 7am to 10pm on Thursday, May 7. Voters in England must show photo ID, such as a passport, driving licence, armed forces veteran card, or older person's bus pass. No photo ID is required for Scottish Parliament or Senedd elections.
Results Timeline
Ballots in Scotland and Wales will be counted on Friday, May 8, with first results expected in the early afternoon and final declarations by evening. In England, 46 of the 136 local authorities will count overnight, with results between 1am and 6am on May 8. Most others will start counting at 9am on May 8, with results from late morning through evening. All six mayoral results are due on the afternoon of May 8. Four authorities—Bradford, Croydon, Lewisham, and Tower Hamlets—will count on Saturday, May 9, with full results expected by evening.
