Local elections in 2024: Comprehensive overview of the Red versus Blue contests
The local elections of 2024 are set to be a significant event, serving as a precursor to the main event in 2025. On Thursday, 2 May, numerous councils across England and Wales will go to the polls, with hundreds to over a thousand seats up for grabs.
Key Councils and Mayoral Races
Prominent councils with seats available include Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire, and Hertfordshire, with a mayoral election taking place in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. This election is noteworthy due to the rise of smaller parties like Reform UK challenging the traditional two-party dominance.
Election Schedule
The local elections typically follow the UK's usual pattern of May elections, although the exact date for the 2024 elections has not been confirmed. However, it is common for local elections to take place on the first Thursday in May.
Participating Parties
The political parties vying for seats include Labour, Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Green Party, Reform UK, and Plaid Cymru, among others. The emergence of Reform UK in the subsequent 2025 elections suggests their growing involvement from around 2024.
Voting Options and ID Requirements
Voters have three options: casting their ballot in person at a local polling station, voting by post, or appointing someone else to vote on their behalf. To vote, individuals must be aged 18 or over, registered at an address in the area they wish to vote in, and have a valid form of photographic ID. The accepted forms of ID can be found online.
Declaration of Results
In the early hours of Friday 3 May, around 35 councils will declare their results, with Broxbourne being the first to announce at half past midnight. On Saturday, major cities such as Liverpool, Manchester, West Midlands, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, and London will declare who will be their next mayors. By lunchtime on Friday, a further 48 councils will unveil their results, with four mayors and 24 Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) being elected.
Council Breakdown
As it stands, Labour has majority control in 45 of the 107 councils, the Conservatives control 18, and the Liberal Democrats 10.
The local elections of 2024 are anticipated to be a significant test of electoral opinion before the main event in 2025. Stay tuned for updates as the results start to trickle in.
The local elections in 2024 could influence the policy-and-legislation landscape due to the rising influence of smaller parties like Reform UK in the upcoming elections, as seen in the mayoral race in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. The general news will follow the progress of these elections closely, as they serve as a precursor to the main event in 2025.
In the lead-up to the voting day, the political landscape will be dominated by the Labour, Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Green Party, Reform UK, and Plaid Cymru parties, among others. The emergence of Reform UK in these elections indicates their growing involvement and challenge to the traditional two-party dominance in policy-and-legislation.
