"Around 5,000 seats across 136 local councils will now be up for grabs, following the government's U-turn on council election delays. Ministers had granted 30 authorities permission to delay elections until May 2027 - including five areas where polls had already been put back from May 2025. But in February, the government said those elections would go ahead in May this year, following legal advice in the wake of a challenge from Reform UK."
"In council elections, voters generally have one vote for each available seat in an election area - known as a ward or division. As in general elections, the first past the post system means whoever receives the most votes wins. Councils are responsible for local services including care for the elderly and disabled, rubbish collection and recycling, housing, education and road maintenance. Many councils face a funding crisis and have cut services while increasing council tax."
Millions of voters across the UK will vote on Thursday 7 May in the largest set of elections since the 2024 general election, including Scottish and Welsh parliaments and numerous English local councils and mayoralties. Around 5,000 seats across 136 local councils are contested after a government U-turn on previously delayed council elections, following legal advice and a challenge from Reform UK. The Electoral Commission warned the earlier delays risked damaging public confidence. Six mayoral contests will be held in London boroughs and Watford, while several other mayoral elections have been postponed to 2027 and 2028. Councils provide key local services and face funding crises.
Read at www.bbc.com
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