UK Local Elections 2026
On May 7, the UK will elect almost 5,000 local councillors in elections that could reshape British politics, challenge the Labour government and give more power to smaller parties.
➡️ UK LOCAL ELECTIONS 2026 - The Great Reset of British Politics Or Another False Hope For Voters?
On May 7, people in England, Scotland, and Wales will elect almost 5,000 local councillors in elections that could reshape British politics. The elections are set to pose a significant challenge to the Labour government and Keir Starmer's record-low approval rating.
Big cities like London, Manchester, Birmingham, and Newcastle are up for election, as are important counties including Essex, Norfolk, and Suffolk.
The voting age in Scotland and Wales is 16, whereas in England it will remain 18 until lowered to 16 in time for the next general election.
Big changes in Wales mean that the number of Senedd (Welsh Parliament) seats up for grabs is increasing from 60 to 96, and the number of constituencies is decreasing from 40 to 16. People in Wales will now only cast one vote rather than two as in previous elections
Scotland is set to elect 129 members to the Scottish Parliament. The SNP is facing its most competitive race in decades as Reform UK and the Greens challenge its lead. The results of the Scottish and Welsh elections will determine who becomes their First Ministers.
A win for their respective nationalist parties would create significant constitutional disputes for the Labour Party and give them greater weight in decisions on issues such as spending, taxation, and welfare. It could even signal the first steps towards a fractured UK, with less centralised power, and even calls for independence referendums.
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What Could The Local Elections Mean For Prime Minister Keir Starmer?
As of April 2026, half of all Britons believe that Starmer should step down as PM, a sentiment which has remained unchanged since last autumn. In a polarised and struggling UK, the one thing everyone can agree on is that Starmer is unpopular.
The public perceives that under his governance, Labour has failed to deliver on its promises of change. He seems to take a mild stance on, well, everything, and appears to run things with a general lack of purpose.
He has dropped his pledge to spend £28 billion a year on green energy, abandoned his campaign to fully nationalise water and energy companies, and u-turned on his plan to scrap university tuition fees.
The public mood in the UK is low. Starmers' landslide win meant that he had a long way to fall.
His term began with a country crippled by the cost-of-living crisis, rising energy bills, inflation, and hiked-up food prices. If anything, largely due to external issues (the U.S.-Israel war on Iran, for example), the situation for the average British citizen has become worse, and the people are looking for someone to blame.
A poor performance for Labour in May could mean that its MPs seek to replace Starmer, especially if the sentiment is felt across the board in Wales and Scotland.
The sharp rise in popularity of Reform UK and the Green Party means that this time round, Labour don’t just have the Tory Party to contend with. Labour is projected to lose between 1,000 and 2,000 council seats.
Current polls show that the Tories are struggling to maintain second place. Estimates suggest they are set to lose between 500 and 1,010 councillors.
Labour and Starmer are on the defensive, particularly in London and the Red Wall, which have been Labour strongholds in Northern England and the Midlands for decades.
The risk Starmer faces is that voters will use this election as a referendum on his leadership, punishing local Labour councillors for his failings and the national state of discontent.
Key Issues In The Local Elections
- FINANCIAL CRISIS - Since 2018, over 13 councils have declared bankruptcy. Councils manage services such as social care, bin collections, and road repairs. With one third of councils at risk of financial ruin in the next five years, these local services are crumbling. Leisure centres, libraries, public services, and social care are all suffering.
- NHS - Healthcare in the UK is a top priority for voters as GP appointments have become increasingly difficult to obtain, and long A&E wait times persist. Other issues include significant staffing gaps, a massive backlog of routine operations, systematic underfunding, and ongoing disputes over pay among resident doctors.
- INFRASTRUCTURE - Local services are visibly deteriorating. Together, road maintenance, parking, and congestion are listed as a top three local concern by one-third of voters. The UK has an estimated 1 million potholes, with one appearing every 19 seconds. This costs drivers an average of £645 million a year.
- AFFORDABLE HOUSING - The UK is deep in the midst of a national housing crisis and record-breaking council spending on temporary accommodation. Local councils hold the primary power over planning decisions, social housing maintenance, and developer negotiations, and so although national policies exist, citizens are relying on their local councils to step up. In 2025, the median cost of a home in England was 7.6 times average earnings, putting home purchase out of reach for the majority of workers. In 2020, reports suggested that the UK had a housing shortage of more than 1 million homes.
- COST OF LIVING - This remains the single most important national issue for voters. Food, energy, and housing costs remain stubbornly high. As of late 2025, 69% of low-income UK households reported going without essentials due to the cost-of-living crisis. A quarter of low-income households could not afford to keep their homes warm over winter. Over 1 in 3 children live in households with incomes below the level necessary to avoid material deprivation.
- FOREIGN POLICY - Another major national issue on voters' minds is the UK's stance on war. Major discontent is widespread over the war in Iran, the war in Gaza, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Citizens feel that UK involvement in these conflicts ignores domestic economic woes and risks escalation. In April 2026, disapproval of the US-led military strikes against Iran rose to 65%. In general, a significant majority (63%–65%) prefer that the UK government use diplomacy to de-escalate conflicts rather than military action.
The Potential For Greater Nationalist Control
Polls for Wales and Scotland have predicted that nationalist parties will take control in both countries for the first time, joining Sinn Féin in Northern Ireland. Experts have stated that if the SNP and Plaid Cymru secure majorities, then it could create a pathway for the eventual breakup of the United Kingdom.
Although neither has confirmed any immediate plans for a referendum, both countries have promoted the benefits of independence in the past, with Scotland in 2014 narrowly voting to stay in the UK by 55%.
If successful, Wales, in particular, will need to prove to the people that it can run the country well before any campaigning begins. Sinn Féin in Northern Ireland has also expressed a desire to leave the UK.
If nationalist parties continue to win elections, calls for independence will surely grow louder.
Could This Spell The End Of Two-Party Dominance?
This local election stands out as, for the first time since the 1920s, the results could signal the end of the Labour-Conservative dominant two-party system. These elections are a chance for Reform UK, the Green Party, and the Liberal Democrats to prove that there are other worthy contenders and that a vote for a smaller party is no longer wasted.
Traditionally, the Liberal Democrats have been the UK’s third party, and they normally perform well in the local elections as voters turn to an option outside the standard two. This time, however, the competition is fierce as the Greens and Reform are predicted to do well.
Due to deep dissatisfaction with the two main parties and immigration and economic concerns, Reform UK have become the most popular party in certain areas. They are polling particularly strongly in the North and in Wales.
With fresh-faced leader Zack Polanski at the helm, the Green Party has adopted a stronger and more determined approach to campaigning. In London and other urban areas, they have seen a huge upsurge in support from voters looking for a left-wing alternative that has fair social and economic policies and will actually deliver on its climate promises.
Five parties are now polling above 10% nationally, which may result in more councils moving to "no overall control" where no single party has more than half of the seats on the council. Depending on how these are run and what coalitions form, this can either stall progress or bring councillors together to put politics aside.
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Low levels of trust in politicians and a general sense of discontent make political apathy high in the UK. Deep feelings of ‘nothing will change’ ring even louder in local elections where voter turnout hovers around 33-35%.
One of the main barriers is a lack of understanding about what local councils actually do and how this affects their daily lives.
With Better World Info, you can learn which areas are holding local elections, stay informed about political parties and what they stand for, and have your say on the issues that matter most to you.
Author: Rachael Mellor 28.04.26 licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
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