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Major test for Labour as polls open in English, Scottish and Welsh elections

England, Scotland and Wales in a series of local, mayoral and parliamentary contests – the biggest electoral test Keir Starmer and the [Labour](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/labour) government have faced since the 2024 general election

What you need to know about the 7 May elections in England, Scotland and Wales

England, Scotland and Wales The biggest set of elections since the 2024 general election will see millions of people head to the polls on Thursday 7 May. Voters in Scotland and Wales will elect representatives

In Britain, Brexit is debated again as Starmer’s grip on power slips

England. The Makerfield by-election will take place on Thursday 18 June 2026 after Labour MP Josh Simons resigned to make way for Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to run giving him a route back

Polls close in elections across England, Scotland and Wales

England, [Scotland](https://www.theguardian.com/uk/scotland) and Wales for local, mayoral and parliamentary elections, with the first results to be announced within hours. More than 30 million people across Britain were given the opportunity to vote

Andy Burnham wins key UK by-election, paving way to challenge Keir Starmer

mayor and Wes Streeting, the former health secretary. Under the UK’s political system, MPs can choose a new prime minister without holding a general election. Burnham is widely considered a strong favourite to become

Starmer can survive a leadership challenge, says attorney general

2024 following his landslide victory. But earlier this month, Labour lost control of the Welsh Senedd, as well as nearly 1,500 councillors in England, in [a historically bad set of election results,](https://www.bbc.co.uk

Political parties make final pitches ahead of key elections

mayors are up for election in England. The polls will be open between 0700 BST and 2200 BST on Thursday 7 May, with results expected to follow on Friday and over the weekend. The polls

UK voters head to the polls in local elections

2024. Voters in England, Scotland and Wales are casting their ballots in local elections where far-right and left-wing parties are projected to make gains, dealing a heavy blow to the governing Labour Party

New laws expected to be in the King's Speech

mayors to charge tourists](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62d9nv1pp4o) a tax for staying overnight in their towns and cities. **Public Procurement (British Goods and Services) Bill** - This legislation - which was first debated in 2024 - is aimed

Why UK’s Makerfield by-election matters far beyond one parliamentary seat

2024 general election in a landslide, Labour’s popularity has tanked over the past two years as support for the far-right, anti-immigration Reform UK has soared. In council elections last month, Reform [swept

Zack Polanski calls two-party politics dead after mayoral and council wins

elected the new mayor of Lewisham hours later. “Across London and the country, people have made it clear that they are desperate for an alternative to this failing Labour government,” Garbett said

Starmer says he will campaign for Burnham in Makerfield

England. Sir Keir has insisted he will not "walk away" from Downing Street and has sought to seize control of the political agenda with a series of announcements on the cost of living this week

UK’s Labour set for heavy losses in elections as Reform makes early gains

election is seen as a [key test of Starmer’s leadership](/news/2026/5/5/starmers-referendum-how-local-elections-could-expose-a-fractured-uk), with Labour trailing behind Reform UK in opinion polls in recent months. In response to the early results, Starmer said he would take

Does UK’s new far-right party, Restore, pose a threat to Farage’s Reform?

England prepares for a critical by-election that could ultimately determine the United Kingdom’s next prime minister later this month, the far right is preparing to do its own battle for the constituency

‘Why are we even doing this?’ The week that left Britain’s PM looking like an interim leader

elections across England, Scotland and Wales, one of Starmer’s lesser-known MPs did her best to light the spark on a contest. If this was one of the more unpredictable weeks in recent

How Labour’s ‘terrible’ night unfolded as Reform surges and Greens and Lib Dems hail wins

2024 general election “Yeah, yeah, we’ll talk about that any other time you like,” he said, moving swiftly on to another questioner. Four hours later, the party took control of Essex county council from

Future of UK lies in the EU after Brexit ‘failure’, say European Greens

England and Wales said: “Brexit has been a disaster and we have always said we should rejoin the EU when the political circumstances are right.” ![Zack Polanski with party candidates and supporters holding 'Vote Green

UK elections – early results and takeaways; will Starmer have to resign?

England, then Starmer will face renewed pressure to quit or set out a timetable for his departure. Starmer, a former lawyer, was elected in 2024 with one of the largest parliamentary majorities in modern British

Illegal dump becomes ‘symbol of north-south divide’ at heart of Makerfield byelection

2024, shows how the north has been forgotten and left behind, some residents say. They compare the failure to clear up the waste to the swift response of the authorities when [a mountain of illegally

Starmer under pressure as Labour suffers heavy election losses including historic Wales defeat

mayor Andy Burnham. Burnham is seen as a potential challenger to Sir Keir, who blocked him from standing to become an MP earlier this year, so some MPs are thought to be biding their time