Local elections 2022

The latest round of local elections takes place in the UK on Thursday 5 May, with 4,000 council seats in England being contested, 1,200 in both Scotland and ...

Start your Independent Premium subscription today. For more on this year’s local elections, The Independent has all you need to know about voting, how you can find out about what is happening in your local area, more information on the national picture by region, as well as a guide to when the results will be announced. However, you are not required to bring the card with you to the polling station on Thursday as it is not considered proof of registration.

PEOPLE across Somerset will head to the polls on Thursday (May 5) to cast their votes for two candidates standing to be in the county's new…

- Labour: 3 seats - Independent: 3 seats - Labour: 3 seats

VOTERS will head down to local polling stations across Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and parts of England on May 5 to elect new representatives.

What time will polling stations be open? You won’t need your poll card with you to vote, but you must vote at your assigned polling station - this will be outlined on your poll card. The local elections on Thursday will be held for all London borough councils, a number of Metropolitan, Unitary, and District councils, as well as all local authorities in Wales and Scotland. Northern Ireland voters will be taking to their polling stations to elect members to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

This is your chance to vote for the people that represent your local area. Each of the 32 London boroughs is divvied into wards — and these wards are ...

As you can see from the map up top, many wards — and therefore boroughs — voted for Labour councillors in the 2018 elections. That said, recently, the Elections Act 2022 was passed, meaning that in the future, ID will have to be produced in order to be given a ballot paper. Your local polling station, which you can find by typing in your postcode on the Where Do I Vote? website. The City of London (not officially a borough) already had its elections in March 2022. Each of the 32 London boroughs is divvied into wards — and these wards are represented by seats. This is your chance to vote for the people that represent your local area.

What you should know about the upcoming elections, including date, locations, how to see candidates and find your polling station.

Mayors will be elected in several individual boroughs, too, including Hackney. It will tell you which council ward you’re in, provide a list of candidates and tell you the exact address for your nearest polling station and its exact opening times on election day. Simply visit the website and type in your postcode, and you’ll see a list of your potential candidates. Over in Scotland, all 1,219 seats across all 32 Scottish local authorities will be up for election in the next round of Scotland local elections, taking place on the same day. Wales will be holding elections to choose members of all twenty-two of its local authorities on May 5, too. The list could go on – but this is your opportunity to vote for the party, and council, you think will best deliver on what you think will most benefit your borough, city, or county.

The picture is not so simple, however, and the fact that the two parliamentary seats within the council boundaries are split between Labour and Tory, with the ...

“Council tax hits people on lower incomes disproportionately and that’s why keeping council tax low, providing really good services for the lowest council tax in the country is really important,” she adds. He adds: “You see that locally and you see that nationally. He highlights the Marble Arch mound, which went over budget to £6 million and attracted some public ridicule, as an example of the Conservatives being “out of touch and not focused on what people need”. The fallout from national politics and anger over Boris Johnson’s breach of the Covid laws might yet be significant. She believes the Tory administration has run services well and highlights its achievement in having the lowest council tax in the country, at £864 for a Band D home as a further reason to keep her party in power. “I’m 32 in May and hopefully winning will be the best birthday present ever.”

Voters will head to the polls to elect: Every local authority in Scotland, Wales and London. South Yorkshire's regional mayor plus the borough councils of ...

Enter your postcode and it will show you the full list of elections you can vote in on polling day. If you have not received or lost your card, you can check on the Electoral Commission website by entering your postcode. Local elections 2022: How to find a full list of who you can vote for in your area

Bin collections, the state of roads and access to local hospitals and libraries tend to decide these elections, as opposed to issues like the economy and ...

If you have misplaced or not received your card, you can check on the Electoral Commission website by entering your postcode here. If it doesn’t have the details of your polling station, the website will have the local council contacts you can use to check. Your polling station, which is likely to be a public building such as a school or community hall close to your address, will be included on the polling card sent to you in the post.

Mike Buckley is the director of the Independent Commission on UK-EU Relations and a former Labour Party adviser. Whatever the results of next week's local ...

One clue to the 2024 result will be found in what happens to the Liberal Democrat vote. Other voters they will be able to count on in 2024 may stay at home or vote for one of the minor parties. Can you help by chipping in as little as £1 a week to help us survive? If the Labour vote recovers it could show that the Brexit schism is ending. Their absence in local elections prevents us from gaining a view of their current voting intention and whether it has shifted since the last general election. 2021’s results were largely a continuation of trends seen in 2019. Local elections do not take place in every part of the country every year; results can appear to favour one party over another simply because of where they were held. A die hard Conservative may vote Liberal Democrat to send a message over Partygate while fully intending to return to the fold in 2024. A committed Labour voter in general elections, for example, may vote Green next week. We also need to bear in mind that in 2018 when these seats were last fought Labour had its best local election results since 1998. The least likely are younger people, private renters, those who pay little attention to politics or lack strong party affiliation. Those most likely to vote have a strong party identity, are elderly, settled (those who their own home outright) or postgraduates.

Get all of the latest Politics news from NationalWorld. Providing fresh perspective online for news across the UK.

Is tactical voting legal in the UK? The YouGov survey for the Queen Mary University of London’s Mile End Institute suggested that there may be tactical voting in favour of Labour from Londoners who backed the Liberal Democrats at the 2019 General Election. For a tactical voter, voting for a ‘lesser evil’ candidate is justifiable on the grounds it will block a ‘more evil’ option.

The Conservatives should be punished at the local elections in Somerset after "taking rural communities for granted", the leader of the Liberal Democrats ...

In North Shropshire, they had a very vibrant Labour Party and Green Party in places like Oswestry, but we actually won the seat and the anti-Tory vote came behind us. It's just another example of the Conservatives taking rural communities for granted, and not understanding and not listening to their needs." Despite his general optimism, Mr Davey said it would be a tall order for his party to win outright control of the new unitary. He said: "We want to see how many seats we can gain off the Conservatives. This is a new unitary - the Conservatives didn't listen to people who wanted two unitaries, and they went with a single one. I've visited Taunton, I've visited Yeovil during these elections, and there is a sense on the doorstep across Somerset of life-long Conservative voters being pretty angry with the Conservatives." He has also urged those intending to vote Labour or Green to get behind his party to ensure the Conservatives (who have governed Somerset County Council since 2009) can be unseated.

Londoners head to the polls on Thursday to decide who will run the capital's 32 borough councils.

The mayoral race in Tower Hamlets will also be one to watch, with disgraced former mayor Lutfur Rahman standing once again. The mayoral results in the borough are expected to be declared at around 10:30pm on Friday 6 May. Residents of Hackney, Lewisham, Newham and Tower Hamlets will all elect a mayor on May 5, with Labour having always held the role in each borough.

ITV News Central Reporter Lewis Warner writes on what each party wants for Birmingham as the city is set to go to the polls. | ITV News Central.

Green Party councillors will be free to stand up for residents and communities demand better for our communities, whether it's about keeping out streets clean, investing in Green spaces, or tackling the cost of living crisis. “The Conservative party has shown that it can’t lead, and Birmingham Labour doesn’t listen. As we recover from the pandemic, we need investment across our communities, not just spent in one area on vanity projects. We now have 467 councillors across the country, tripling our representation since 2018. "And you have a Labour group who have spent 10 years putting up Council tax by 39% when they were elected on a pledge not to put up council tax. We need more Lib Dems elected for positive change in Birmingham. "But we know they haven’t because they’ve had 10 years to do it yet leave rubbish piled up on our streets still. Lib Dems have been demanding better and achieving much from opposition. "It’s the Labour party who bid for a successful games. Mr Ward said: “Our plan is not a four-year plan for a council term. Liberal Democrats would give Birmingham’s struggling waste collection services 12 months to sort themselves out. And they have a plan to clean up the city.

Get all of the latest Politics news from NationalWorld. Providing fresh perspective online for news across the UK.

The results of the South Yorkshire mayoral election will be expected at 4pm, while the Croydon mayoral result is expected later that evening. London results should begin to be announced at around 3am, as well as results from the northern city of Hull. All eyes will be on the results to see what party currently find themselves in favour with the public, but when will the results be announced?

The prime minister has been criticised for his attitude towards women over the years, with the Muslim letterbox comment causing a furore and derogatory ...

The prime minister has been criticised for his attitude towards women over the years, with the Muslim letterbox comment causing a furore and derogatory descriptions of single mothers and their children. "And women are doing absolutely brilliantly in the Conservative Party at the moment and we want to encourage it." The prime minister was quizzed on his attitude to women and how they are treated in the Conservative Party in the wake of multiple sex scandals.

This country is in crisis. Inflation sky-rocketing, more and more people having to rely on foodbanks or choose between heating their home and eating, ...

Voters are switching to the Greens, showing that there is no such thing as a “safe seat”, as more people turn to us as the only party with the answers. Their record in government nationally and locally shows that they have failed to address the urgent need to make Britain’s leaky homes warmer and more energy-efficient. Yet the main parties are chronically failing to deal with the problems we face.

VOTERS will have the chance to go to the polls to shape the political make-up of Sunderland City Council this week.

However the Conservatives, who already hold the other two seats in the St Anne’s, will be looking to further dent Labour’s hold on the council with success in the ward. There is one Independent on the city council, Ryhope Councillor Steven Bewick, who was initially elected as a UKIP representative, before quitting the party last year. Susan Watson will therefore be looking to hold the St Anne’s seat for Labour, after she lost out in the ward by three votes to Conservative Councillor Greg Peacock last year. Current council deputy leader Councillor Claire Rowntree will be aiming to hold her seat for Labour in Hetton, after the party won a tight by-election in the area ahead of the Liberal Democrats in September last year. In Pallion, Labour will be looking to make gains, with current councillor for St Anne’s Karen Noble standing in the ward which at present has three Liberal Democrat councillors. Former deputy leader Michael Mordey will be looking to return to the council by holding Hendon for Labour, although the candidate lost out last year to the Liberal Democrats, who will be hopeful of gaining another seat in the ward.

Every council seat in Scotland, Wales, London and many parts of England is up for grabs, while Northern Ireland will elect its new assembly.

- Tower Hamlets in London due to declare the result of its mayoral election If you have misplaced or not received your card, you can check on the Electoral Commission website byentering your postcode here. - In Wales, Labour looking to take control of Blaenau Gwent from a group of Independents

Voters across the UK will head to the polls on Thursday 5 May to cast their ballots in local elections. Every council seat is up for grabs in Scotland, Wales, ...

You can select 'Manage settings' for more information and to manage your choices. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Your Privacy Controls. Find out more about how we use your information in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. Click here to find out more about our partners. - Information about your device and internet connection, including your IP address

PEOPLE across Somerset will head to the polls on Thursday (May 5) to cast their votes for two candidates standing to be in the county's new…

- Labour: 3 seats - Independent: 3 seats - Labour: 3 seats

There are four different types of local council in the UK: parish/town councils, district councils, county councils, and unitary authorities. Parish councils, ...

All registered voters above the age of 16 are eligible to vote. If you are eligible to vote, and have not already registered, you must register on the government website to vote. However, in Scottish local politics, the numbers do not tell the whole story. This will include the name and address of your designated polling station. We saw the Conservatives become the second biggest party in Scotland, overtaking Labour for the first time. Plaid Cymru and the SNP will be looking to increase their grassroots representation in Wales and Scotland respectively. This year, the local elections will take place on Thursday the 5th of May 2022. Anyone can vote in a local election providing they have registered and are 18 years or over on polling day. They are also in charge of community spaces such as allotments, open spaces and play areas. Local elections are, as you might have guessed, vital to the way your council deals with local issues such as planning permission, community transport and crime. Not to mention the coinciding elections for the Scottish Parliament, Senedd and London Assembly. The big litmus test for Boris Johnson this year will be the London borough council elections.

Here are the rules on voting when you have tested positive - and the steps you can take to vote safely at the polling station.

The late evening, for example, could be a good time to try. If you have Covid-19 and do decide to vote in-person, there are a few steps you can take to ensure you do it safely. Can you vote in the local elections in 2022 if you have Covid?

On Thursday, 5 May, voters in Richmond will flock to the polls to elect their councillors for the next four years in this year's local elections.

Three of London’s 13 Green councillors are in Richmond, and the party is putting up six candidates in wards where it feels it has the best chance of winning. Andrée Frieze, of Ham, Petersham and Richmond Riverside, said it was the Greens who pushed the council to provide more police on the streets, a real living wage for workers and contractors and to declare a climate emergency. The current leader of the council is Gareth Roberts, who will be standing in the Hampton ward.

Trafford goes to the polls again tomorrow with a third of the seats up for grabs. Local election polling stations open from 7am until 10pm – you can find ...

The next general election is expected to take place in 2024 - five years after the 2019 vote - but there is a chance it could be called earlier.

- planning - allotments As well as this, there are some mayoral elections and seats on 1,000 parish councils to be decided.

This Thursday's election could see a shift of power in Woking. The Conservatives are in pole position on Woking Borough Council with 13 members, ...

0 0 0 0 Conservatives say that by delivering the borough’s housing need in and around the town centre, they have protected green spaces, while Lib Dems and Labour want to limit skyscraper heights. It was a two-horse race then and this time the Lib Dems will have to work harder as the addition of a Green candidate may split the vote.

Boris Johnson will be tested at the ballot box for the first time since the Downing Street lockdown parties scandal.

Councillor Winstanley is an experienced councillor though and well known in his ward having served on the council between 2000 and 2011 and then 2016 until present, so he will be a difficult candidate to beat for Dave Wood of Labour and Co-operative and Neil Stevenson of the Liberal Democrats. Both his peers in the ward Coun Paul Watson and Coun Jamie Hodgkinson have scored comfortable majorities in their last elections, just like Coun Gerrard back in 2018 - making it a stronghold for the group. Labour sources say they are 'miles ahead' here, while the Conservatives say they have an 'outside chance' of securing a seat in this once Tory-held ward. Last year, the Tories hoped to win all three council seats in this ward which is home to a large Orthodox Jewish community, but only managed to retain two. Once comfortable territory for the Conservatives, the addition of Westwood Park to this ward in 2021 helped Labour councillor Tony Davies win a seat. Only three of the 96 councillors belong to other parties in Manchester, leaving the ruling Labour group firmly in control of the council. Across all of the four major parties in Trafford, heavy-hitters are up to fight for their seats this year. The Lib Dems claim to be the credible alternative to the two major parties and hope to capitalise on apathy among voters who feel let down by Labour locally. Last year’s biggest shock was the Greens Coun Gary Lawson defeating Yvonne Guariento to take Reddish South. And with Con Jude Wells, cabinet member for adult social care, standing down, there is a possibility Labour could be vulnerable again in this ward. Stepping Hill again looks to be a three-way fight between Labour, Lib Dems and the Tories. Coun Rory Leonard’s victory last year was one of few bright spots on what was a disappointing night for Labour. Labour has 40 seats, making a change to the overall control of the council look unlikely. They are currently the largest party on the council with 22 councillors, Labour have 17 and the Liberal Democrats five.

More than 4,000 council seats in England are being contested, 1,200 in both Scotland and Wales and all 90 seats of the Northern Ireland Assembly in contention.

Start your Independent Premium subscription today. - A citizen of another country living in Scotland or Wales who has permission to enter or stay in the UK, or who does not need permission - A Commonwealth citizen who has permission to enter or stay in the UK, or who does not need permission

Every council seat in Scotland, Wales, London and several parts of England is up for grabs, while Northern Ireland will elect its Assembly.

In other parts of the country, Hartlepool will be hotly contested. Wokingham, St Albans and Sutton are some of the key Conservative-Liberal Democrat battlegrounds. I’m conscious that we’ve got to earn every vote, I’m taking nothing for granted.” More than 4,000 councillors in 146 councils will be standing for election in major cities including Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham and all 32 London boroughs. The latest is likely to be around 5pm on Saturday from Tower Hamlets. The largest cities – Glasgow and Edinburgh – will be the ones to look out for.

May 5 sees a big set of elections across the UK. In England, there are contests across 146 councils. In London, every council seat is up for election across ...

In those 2017 contests, the SNP won 35% of the 1,227 council seats up for election. The Conservatives will hope that the government’s “levelling-up” money will help the party in key northern councils. Most may remain so, although Labour, long the largest party in Westminster and Senedd/Assembly contests, may add slightly to its tally of seven councils. The Conservatives will be anxious to hold onto their solitary council of Monmouthshire but three seat losses will push it into no overall control. There are 26 other authorities that are currently under no overall control of any party so aren’t considered anyone’s to “lose”. In London, Labour defends twice as many seats as the Conservatives. The key comparison for English local elections is with 2018, as most of the councillors fighting on Thursday were elected for four-year terms back then.

As always, some people are planning to make their choice on a strategic basis, but how does tactical voting work and what have the political parties said ...

However, it means voting for a candidate who is not your first choice. However, it means voting for a candidate who is not your first preference to prevent an even less desirable one. Tactical voting is a way of overcoming this problem by backing the party or candidate that has the best chance of defeating the one you don’t want to win.

National scandal and local issues are all expected to play a part as voters head to the polls.

The final Greater Manchester council to declare its results will be Bury at 8.30pm, with all 51 seats up for grabs, and Both Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and Conservative PM Boris Johnson have campaigned in the battleground borough. Rochdale will be the first of two all-out election results to be declared in Greater Manchester at 3.30pm, with every single seat up for grabs. No further results will be expected in the morning, before 125 declarations are made throughout the afternoon and evening. Bolton is expected to be the region's first council to declare its results at 12.30am, with a third of the council's 60 seats up for grabs. It is the only council in England, Scotland or Wales which will declare on Saturday. Tameside is expected to be the region's next council to declare at 1am, with one-third of the council's 57 seats available. The Lib Dems are hoping to add to their two-strong presence, following February's by-election win in Ancoats and Beswick, while the Green Party will hope for another gain after its first ever Manchester councillor was elected last year. Oldham is due to follow at 2.15am, where one seat is up for grabs in almost every ward, except Medlock Vale where two members will be elected. Labour currently dominates the council with 57 members and will be hoping to tighten its grip on power if Conservative candidates suffer nationally, but independent candidates could also do well. Labour dominates in the socialist stronghold and could be aided further if the Tories have a bad election nationally - Conservative group leader Les Turner was within 100 votes of losing his seat on Salford council in last year's vote. Voters will head to the polls to elect members onto all 10 Greater Manchester councils. Labour runs nine of Greater Manchester's 10 local authorities, with Bolton currently the region's only council with Conservative leadership.

The council is currently Labour run with them holding a solid majority of 28 of the 51 seats, the Conservatives have 15 with four Liberal Democrats, three ...

“We are involved in the community not to boost our political careers but simply because we care about Radcliffe and want to make a difference. They added: “Our local agenda is focused on maintaining a safe and clean urban and rural environment. Liberal democrat leader Michael Powell, said: “Liberal Democrats are campaigning across Bury for a fair deal for local residents. Vote Conservative for a council which will deliver our borough, deliver real change making Bury an even better place to live work and socialise.” Conservative leader Nick Jones, said: “On Thursday, use your vote to elect a Conservative council which will put our communities first and invest in frontline services. A total of 147 candidates are standing for three councillor positions in each of the 17 wards which make up the town.

They are currently the largest party on the council with 22 councillors, Labour have 17 and the Liberal Democrats five. That leaves 16 other councillors made up ...

“We feel that all of Debbie’s pledges are achievable, and if elected, we will keep residents regularly updated on the progress of each of these specific pledges. “For The Sunday Times to recognise our area an up-and-coming place to live in the Northwest is a huge transition from where we were and one we should all be celebrating. “We have urged residents to research claims made by all political parties in their campaign leaflets and have welcomed open debate. “With a candidate in every ward, we look set to increase our number of councillors. They claim to be for the people, but then increase council tax by 3.8% forcing families into hardship. “Conservatives are responsible for the continued decline of Bolton, cutting around £250 million funding. Anybody wanting to run Bolton will need to talk to Liberal Democrats and other parties. “With currently nine different ‘groups’ on the council, this is a recipe for chaos. Only a third of the 60 seats are up for election this week which makes it unlikely that there will be massive shifts in the number of councillors for each party. Candidates from the Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats and Reform/Bolton for Change will contest every ward. They are currently the largest party on the council with 22 councillors, Labour have 17 and the Liberal Democrats five. However, the co-operation between Conservatives and both of those parties has broken down since leaving an unclear picture going into Thursday’s poll.

Every council seat in Scotland, Wales, London and several parts of England is up for grabs, while Northern Ireland will elect its Assembly.

In other parts of the country, Hartlepool will be hotly contested. Wokingham, St Albans and Sutton are some of the key Conservative-Liberal Democrat battlegrounds. I’m conscious that we’ve got to earn every vote, I’m taking nothing for granted.” More than 4,000 councillors in 146 councils will be standing for election in major cities including Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham and all 32 London boroughs. The latest is likely to be around 5pm on Saturday from Tower Hamlets. The largest cities – Glasgow and Edinburgh – will be the ones to look out for.

Party leaders have been out and about on the last day before local elections - and have been making their final pitches to voters ahead of the polls.

can send a message: get rid of Boris Johnson" - and reported that lifelong Tories were saying they would never vote for the party again while Mr Johnson was in charge. No breach of the rules. No party.

If you're not sure a local council election is taking place in your area it's worth checking before you head to the polling station on Thursday.

If you weren’t able to send off your postal vote in time, then you can take your postal vote postal vote either to your polling station or your local Electoral Registration Office (which you can find here) before 10.00pm on polling day. If that doesn’t have the details of your polling station, the website will have the local council contacts you need to double check. It will be included on the polling card sent to you in the post, but if you have misplaced or not received your card, you can check on the Electoral Commission website by entering your postcode here.

The first key London results are expected from 3am, including Westminster and Wandsworth, which are seen as key targets for Labour, who hope to wrest ...

All overnight results are also due by this time. The councillors campaigning for each seat either represent different political parties or they can be independent. But all the seats are up for grabs in the London elections, meaning quite a few councils could change leadership.