Polls have closed across England, Scotland and Wales in a series of local, mayoral and parliamentary elections, the biggest electoral test for Keir Starmer and the Labour government since the 2024 general election. Millions voted on Thursday in contests that could reshape the political landscape, with smaller parties such as Reform UK, the Greens and the Liberal Democrats surging in popularity.
The elections cover the Scottish and Welsh parliaments, 136 local councils in England where 5,014 seats are contested, and six mayoral contests in Croydon, Hackney, Lewisham, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Watford. Results will start coming in from Friday morning, with the most significant declarations expected by lunchtime and some councils not declaring until Saturday afternoon.
In Scotland, 129 MSPs will be elected to Holyrood. At the last election in 2021, the SNP won 64 seats, the Conservatives 31, Labour 22, the Greens eight and the Liberal Democrats four. Counting begins Friday morning, with first results expected at lunchtime. In Wales, 96 Senedd members will be elected under a new proportional voting system, with voters backing parties rather than individual candidates.
After the May 2025 local elections, Labour held 34% of council seats in England, down 2% from 2024, while the Conservatives fell to 26%. The Liberal Democrats rose to 19%, Reform UK gained 5% with 677 councillors, and the Greens held 5%. The results are seen as the first major test of an increasingly multiparty system.
