LONDON: Polling stations opened across England on Thursday for crucial local elections, posing a significant challenge for embattled Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
These elections, comprising council, mayoral, and other local contests, along with a parliamentary by-election, serve as the final major test before the scheduled general election later this year.
The Conservative Party, in power nationally since 2010 and defending numerous seats secured in the 2021 local elections, is expected to face substantial losses, according to forecasts and polling data.
Voting will conclude at 2100 GMT, with initial results anticipated in the early hours of Friday. However, complete results, especially for key regional and London mayoral races, may take until the weekend to be announced.
While London’s Labour mayor Sadiq Khan is poised for a comfortable victory for a record third term, closely contested mayoral races in the West Midlands and Tees Valley could have significant implications.
A win for Labour in these regions, considered bellwether constituencies, would bolster the party’s prospects nationally.
Speculation abounds in Westminster that a poor Conservative showing could trigger attempts by discontented Tory lawmakers to replace Sunak, who assumed office in October 2022.
However, victories for incumbent Tory mayors Andy Street and Ben Houchen in the West Midlands and Tees Valley would provide a much-needed boost to Sunak’s leadership.
In the parliamentary by-election for Blackpool South, Labour is expected to capitalize on a Tory resignation due to a lobbying scandal, potentially flipping the seat.
Forecasts suggest the Conservatives could lose about half of the nearly 1,000 council seats they are defending across England.
In Wales, voters will elect police and crime commissioners, with analysts predicting potential losses for the Tories in this arena as well.
The outcome of these elections will serve as a barometer of public sentiment and could have far-reaching implications for the political landscape ahead of the general election.
