Boris faces local election voter backlash – how to find out who is standing in your area
Plea for Boris to use local elections as measure of trust
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Voters will be heading to the polls for the local elections on Thursday May 5 in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. There are a whole host of seats up for grabs – including for local authorities, local mayors, and some county councils – and Prime Minister Boris Johnson risks making huge losses.
More than 4,000 seats will be contested for local issues, including rubbish collections, planning applications, and housing.
While the elections won’t impact the number of MPs for each party, it serves as a good ‘lay of the land’ for party leaders.
The Conservatives have faced major pressure in recent weeks and months – mainly centered around Mr Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak.
The Prime Minister was fined by the Metropolitan Police for breaking lockdown rules earlier this month, and will now be investigated for allegedly lying to Parliament.
Meanwhile, Mr Sunak was also fined for his role in the Partygate saga.
He’s also come under pressure for his wife’s non-dom status, which allowed her to avoid paying full UK tax.
Mr Sunak had been listed as a beneficiary of tax trusts British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands, while setting taxes in the UK.
Voters have been losing faith in the Tories, according to the polls, and the public could make their feelings known in the local elections.
How to find out who is standing in your area
There are two main ways to find out your local candidates for election.
The first is to simply check your polling card, which will show what you’re voting for.
But, if you don’t want to wait for the post to come through, you can head to the Electoral Commission website.
It will tell you where to head on Election Day to vote, and also give you a rundown of who you could be voting for.
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What seats are up for grabs?
- Local authorities in Scotland, Wales and London
- South Yorkshire’s regional mayor, and borough councils for Barnsley and Sheffield
- 60 district councils, 31 Metropolitan boroughs and 19 unitary authorities in England
- North Yorkshire and Somerset county councils
- All 90 seats in the Northern Ireland assembly
- Local mayors in Croydon, Hackney, Lewisham, Newham, Tower Hamlets, and Watford
- Bristol referendum on abolishing elected mayor
What are the local election polls saying?
Latest predictions included an overall five percent swing to Labour from the Tories in the local elections, according to pollster Find Out Now.
Labour were forecast to gain 22 councils, including in Harlow, Newcastle-under-Lyme and Southampton.
Some of these councils previously had no overall control, or were working as a coalition.
Labour are also hot favourites to win the overall popular vote.
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