Local elections are again being held in the UK on Thursday 5 May, with 4,000 council seats in England being contested across 146 local authorities against a backdrop of outrage over the “Partygate” scandal, fresh allegations of sleaze and sexism in Westminster and with the cost of living crisis a growing concern.
In both Scotland and Wales, 1,200 seats are up for grabs across 32 and 22 councils respectively as citizens cast their vote on who should run the public services they rely on every day, from waste collection to library and park maintenance.
Meanwhile, all 90 seats of the Northern Ireland Assembly are in contention, with five members being elected in each of the country’s 18 constituencies.
Thursday’s events will also see four new councils involved for the first time – unitary authorities in North Yorkshire, Somerset and two in Cumbria – and seven mayoral positions up for consideration.
The public is widely expected to cast its ballots as a verdict on Boris Johnson’s scandal-ridden leadership, the prime minister’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and the prospect of change represented by Sir Keir Starmer – or in reaction to other issues of particular regional significance, from immigration to infrastructure.
To find exactly what is happening in your constituency this week, visit the Electoral Commission website and enter your postcode.
From there, you will be invited to confirm your postal address, after which you will be presented with all the information you need about the candidates in contention and the location and opening hours of your nearest polling station.
The Independent meanwhile has all you need to know about voting, more information on the national picture by region as well as a guide on when the results will be announced.
We will be covering the local elections in depth this week and liveblogging both voting day itself and the aftermath on Friday once the results have been counted and compiled.
