Labour has run the council since 2011 but has only a small majority and will want to improve its position in what is the party's traditional heartland of Greater Manchester. Here are some of the key contests to look out for in each region of England, as well as in Wales and Scotland.īury - estimated declaration time, 8.30pm Friday May 6īury has all of its 51 seats up for grabs this year. Meanwhile, a failure to make significant progress could cause serious problems for Keir Starmer. Restive Conservatives have been holding off a decision on whether to mount a coup until the results come in, meaning the aftermath is likely to be the moment of maximum danger for the PM. Tories are anxiously waiting to assess the level of damage from the Partygate scandal, with the results in thousands of council seats seen as a key test of whether the PM can survive.Ī total of 200 local authorities are holding elections - including every seat in Scotland, Wales and London.īut the outcome could be tricky to interpret as many of the seats were last contested in 20, when the UK was still in the EU, Theresa May was in No10 and Labour was led by Jeremy Corbyn.Įxperts have pointed out that Labour had a very strong performance in 2018, suggesting the party could struggle to make further big gains - despite polls showing a national lead and massive advantage in London.Īlthough many of the issues that decide local elections remain the same - such as bin collections and services - they will inevitably be interpreted through the prism of Partygate in the wake of Mr Johnson's fine. Boris Johnson is facing a potentially make-or-break moment next week when millions of voters go to the polls across the country.