Local elections 2025: where are they and who is on course to win?
Reform UK is predicted to make large gains, with 23 councils and six mayor-run regions up for grabs

Reform UK is on course to pick up hundreds of council seats across England in May's local elections as the insurgent party looks to establish itself as a genuine alternative to the Tories and Labour.
The last time these councils were contested was in 2021. That was the high point of Boris Johnson's premiership when the Conservatives won control of dozens of local authorities. Four years on and the picture could not look more different.
Where are elections and when?
Around a third of electors in England are eligible to vote in local elections to be held on Thursday 1 May.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In total, 23 councils will be contested, with more than 1,600 councillors up for election. These include:
14 county councils: Cambridgeshire, Derbyshire, Devon, Gloucestershire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire.
8 unitary authorities: Buckinghamshire, Cornwall, County Durham, North Northamptonshire, Northumberland, Shropshire, West Northamptonshire and Wiltshire.
1 metropolitan district: Doncaster.
Six mayoral elections are also taking place in the West of England, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, North Tyneside, Doncaster and – for the first time – in Greater Lincolnshire, and Hull and East Yorkshire.
In February, the government announced that local elections in East Sussex, West Sussex, Essex, Thurrock, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Norfolk, Suffolk and Surrey, due to also take place on 1 May, would be delayed for one year to allow for the reorganisation of local councils.
No routine elections are taking place in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.
Who can vote and what ID do you need?
The BBC, in collaboration with the Electoral Commission, has produced a postcode tool for voters to check if elections are taking place in their area on 1 May.
British citizens, qualifying Commonwealth citizens and those with citizenship of an EU member state are all eligible to vote in local elections, although rules vary according to which country you are from.
The deadline for registering to vote in time for the 2025 local elections is Friday 11 April. You can do this using the government's Gov.uk portal and will need your National Insurance number.
After changes to the law brought in under the last Tory government, voters in England now need to show photo ID to confirm their identity at polling stations. You can see the list of accepted forms of identification here. The ID document does not need to be in date, as long as the photo is still clearly recognisable.
If you do not possess any of these, you need to apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate not later than Wednesday 23 April.
What are the polls saying?
Politico's latest poll of polls puts Labour and Reform tied nationally at 24% of the vote, and the Conservatives on 22%. A multi-level regression and post-stratification (MRP) poll conducted by Electoral Calculus on behalf of The Telegraph earlier this month predicted "the Conservatives will lose a large amount of support and councillors" to Reform. "The Liberal Democrats are also expected to make some gains, while Labour might lose ground a little."
The 1 May vote will be a "major electoral test of the popularity of a party that has spoken openly about ambitions to win the next general election", said the BBC.
"Reform UK look like the main gainers as they could take control of eight councils to gain their first real power-base in local government," said Martin Baxter, founder of Electoral Calculus.
But large-scale delays to elections, affecting over five and a half million voters, in areas where Nigel Farage's party is strong "will soften the scale of Conservative losses and reduce Reform's gains".
At the same time, the Liberal Democrats, who are polling around 14% nationally, have vowed to replace the Conservatives as the "party of Middle England". "The party believes it can become the second largest in local government by surpassing the Conservatives, as well as making gains in areas where voters have become disaffected with Labour since the general election", said London's The Standard.
As for Labour, this will be Keir Starmer's first major test at the ballot box since last year's general election landslide. With traditionally Labour local councils such as Doncaster and Durham forecast to swing to Reform, the narrative that the far-right populist party is simply a problem for the Conservatives will be "shattered", said Conservative Home.
Things could get even worse for Labour if Reform overturns a huge majority to win the Runcorn and Helsby by-election taking place on the same day. Such a result, The Independent said, would be "disastrous for the government".
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
What is Starmer's £33m plan to smash 'vile' Channel migration gangs?
Today's Big Question PM lays out plan to tackle migration gangs like international terrorism, with cooperation across countries and enhanced police powers
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Quirky hot cross buns to try this Easter
The Week Recommends Creative, flavourful twists on the classic Easter bake, from tiramisu and stem ginger to a cheesy sharing-size treat
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
What should you be stockpiling for 'World War Three'?
In the Spotlight Britons advised to prepare after the EU tells its citizens to have an emergency kit just in case
By Elizabeth Carr-Ellis, The Week UK Published
-
What is Starmer's £33m plan to smash 'vile' Channel migration gangs?
Today's Big Question PM lays out plan to tackle migration gangs like international terrorism, with cooperation across countries and enhanced police powers
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
The tribes battling it out in Keir Starmer's Labour Party
The Explainer From the soft left to his unruly new MPs, Keir Starmer is already facing challenges from some sections of the Labour Party
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Are we on the brink of a recession?
Today's Big Question Britain's shrinking economy is likely to upend Rachel Reeves' Spring Statement spending plans
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Has Starmer put Britain back on the world stage?
Talking Point UK takes leading role in Europe on Ukraine and Starmer praised as credible 'bridge' with the US under Trump
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
CPAC: Scenes from a MAGA zoo
Feature Standing ovations, chainsaws, and salutes
By The Week US Published
-
What did Starmer actually get out of Trump?
Today's Big Question US president's remarks, notably on tariffs and the Chagos Islands, were encouraging but vague
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
How should Keir Starmer handle Donald Trump?
Today's Big Question Meeting the president in Washington calls for some delicate diplomacy from the PM
By Elizabeth Carr-Ellis, The Week UK Published
-
How will Keir Starmer pay for greater defence spending?
Today's Big Question Funding for courts, prisons, local government and the environment could all be at risk
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published