Local elections taking place across England on May 7, 2026, will decide roughly 5,000 council seats in 136 different authorities. These include all 32 London boroughs, several metropolitan and unitary councils, and multiple county councils whose elections were deferred from 2025. The vote comes at a challenging time for Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government, whose national support has fallen considerably since its 2024 general election success.
Current polls show Labour support hovering between 18 and 20 percent nationally, well below its performance when these seats were last contested. Forecasters from Electoral Calculus and similar organisations anticipate substantial net losses for Labour, particularly in northern cities and rural areas where frustration over the economy and other national issues has increased. Reform UK, currently polling in the mid-to-high 20s, appears set for significant advances and may gain control of several councils including Essex, Norfolk, and Suffolk.
The elections underscore growing divisions within both the left and right of British politics. On the centre-left, Labour must contend with the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party. The Lib Dems are expected to perform well in southern and suburban districts where they can attract protest votes, while the Greens have recorded rising support in some areas and are mounting strong campaigns in places such as Newcastle. This split risks weakening the progressive vote where the parties compete directly.
On the right, the Conservatives remain under pressure with support around 18 percent as they defend seats from the previous cycle. Reform UK has positioned itself as the main alternative on the right, fielding candidates widely for the first time in many wards. The newly registered Restore Britain party, led by former Reform MP Rupert Lowe, is taking a limited approach. It has confirmed candidates in only ten seats in Great Yarmouth (nine county and one borough by-election) due to its early stage of development. A small number of former Reform councillors, including seven in Kent, have already switched to Restore Britain, but the party is not mounting a broad challenge at this stage. Its leaders view these elections as an early test ahead of larger campaigns planned for 2027.
Beyond the immediate seat changes, the results will be closely watched as an indicator of national sentiment less than two years into Labour’s term. Significant losses for the government could intensify internal and external pressure, while gains for opposition parties would strengthen their claims to represent growing voter dissatisfaction. With nominations recently closed, the final contest remains dynamic, but the overall picture points to a tough evening for Labour and continued fragmentation across the political spectrum.
