Research from Compass, the centre left pressure group, has found that there are 39 Tory led ‘blue wall’ councils, in which the Tories won overall control with less than 50% of the vote. The campaign group are using this research to call for tactical voting, arguing that left leaning voters should vote for the party which has best chance of defeating the Tory. Canterbury, Ashford, Harlow, East Hampshire, West Berkshire, Mid Sussex, East Hertfordshire, Basildon and Braintree are among the key marginals where tactical voting by Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green voters could change who has control of the local authority. There is evidence of increasing coordination between local party groups, although this is being done discretely, without the endorsement of the national parties.

Source: The Independent

Research from the anti-facist group Hope not Hate, has found that five Conservative councillors standing in this week’s local elections in England, have previously been suspended for alleged racism and Islamophobia. So far, none of the five or the national Conservative party have responded to request for comment. Georgie Laming, director of campaigns and communications at Hope Not Hate, said: ‘There is an alarming trend of Conservative party candidates and councillors who have been exposed for racism, Islamophobia, antisemitism and as crank conspiracy theorists. Their vetting and disciplinary systems either don’t work or are inconsistent. All mainstream parties must have a zero tolerance policy. The Conservative Party has a long way to go to prove this’.

Source: The Guardian

Labour are hoping that the outcry over blue badge parking restrictions introduced by York City Council will help them oust the current Lib Dem-Green coalition. Until 2020, the council allowed blue badge holders to access and park in pedestrianised areas, however this exemption was removed during the pandemic, sparking backlash from disability rights campaigners who say they are being excluded from the city centre. The council maintains that the ban is a necessary counter-terror measure. Government minister Lee Rowley, in a parliamentary debate last week called by York Central’s Labour MP, Rachael Maskell, urged the council to consider if it was ‘unduly imposing on the rights and freedoms of disabled residents’. Labour have made overturning the ban a key pledge of their campaign in York, where they have the potential to seize full control of the council.

Source: BBC

All 44 seats of the council seats are up for grabs and the results won here could set the political tone for the next general election. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves are amongst those who have visited the Staffordshire city. Labour has not led the authority since 2015 and has lost three by-elections since 2019 and in 2019 the Tories won all three of the city’s parliamentary seats. The local elections also places a great test for the Conservatives as they currently lead the council in a minority administration with 22 of the 44 seats.

Source:BBC

With the run-up of local elections Rishi Sunak is facing the first major test of his premiership. With more than 230 seats up for grab Tory chiefs are publicly warning that the party could lose more than 1,000 seats. During this election Labour will be looking to capitalise on its strong polling lead to reverse the losses the party suffered in 2019 under Jeremy Corbyn, and the Liberal Democrats are hoping to build on strong by-election performances to seize councils in rural and middle-class areas.

Source: The Telegraph

It is forecasted that the Tories are predicted to lose just 250 council seats during the elections this week with senior party figure, Greg Hands fearing that up to 1,000 of the councillors would be ousted. A member of the British Polling Council predicts the Tories will forfeit 258 council seats and finish the night with a total of 3,043 in the areas contested. However, according to another forecast Labour is on course to gain 408 councillors leaving it with a total of 2,487.

Source: The Mirror

All 76 seats on Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole will be up for election this year as the Liberal Democrats will be looking to gain a majority come poling day. Political fortunes have swung back and forth since the authority was created in 2019 and in 2020, a Liberal Democrat-led ruling alliance collapsed amongst defections and disagreements, swinging the pendulum in favour of a Conservative minority. The Liberal Democrats will be seeking to capitalise on liberal Conservative voters who have been turned off by the recent political turmoil and are also feeling the effects of hikes in mortgage costs. Meanwhile, Labour are campaigning on trust issues in the council to boost their chances of winning, and the Green Party are looking to tackle neighbourhood issues in their attempt to win more seats.

Source: BBC

Failing local Labour groups put under the supervision of the party’s HQ have been asked to reflect on the leadership style of one of the most well-known and successful army commanders in order to win at the ballot box. Labour HQ has sent in campaign improvement boards to groups on councils across the country in an attempt to improve what Labour has to offer and create more wins locally. But the implementation of the boards — described as ‘control-freakery’ by one member of Labour’s ruling body — has reignited a row with leftwingers who claim they are victims of a purge.

Source: The Times

The LGIU and Ipsos conducted research into people’s attitudes towards local elections and how much they understand about Voter ID. Catch up on the full findings plus the panel discussion where we launched the results. Find out more.

In this issue of Global Local, we’ve look at how local elections can operate at their best in an age of declining trust in electoral systems and results. Read Global Local.

Voter ID was required in the May 2023 local elections for the first time. And everyone has questions about it – of course. Dr Greg Stride answers some of the big ones for us the day after the elections. Read this article.