The British voted on Thursday in local elections which promise to be painful for the Labor of unpopular Prime Minister Keir Starmer as well as for its conservative rivals, threatened by the anti-immigration Reform UK party and by the Greens on the left.
Since its return to power in July 2024 after 14 years in opposition, the Labor Party has struggled to deliver on its promises of growth, at a time when the conflict in the Middle East is accentuating the cost of living crisis.
Polling stations closed on Thursday at 9:00 p.m. GMT (11:00 p.m. in Switzerland) in England, Scotland and Wales, and the first results are expected overnight and throughout the day on Friday.
Polls predict a decline in the center-left party during this first major electoral test for Keir Starmer. The popularity of the 63-year-old leader fell after a series of missteps, reversals and controversies, sparking internal temptation to replace him at Downing Street.
Immigration also crystallizes the discontent of many Britons, while the number of illegal migrants arriving via the Channel since 2018 is on the verge of passing the 200,000 mark.
“This election will consolidate Reform’s position as the dominant force in British politics,” said Zia Yusuf, a spokesperson for the far-right Reform UK party, interviewed by AFP on election night.
More than 5,000 local elected seats were at stake (out of more than 16,000) in England, and voters voted to renew the Welsh and Scottish Parliaments.
Leaving a polling station in Islington in London, Dan Ellis, a 61-year-old retiree, said he wanted to “send a message nationally”: “things are not working”.
Fragmentation
In Edinburgh, Claire Oommen, a 33-year-old photographer, says she is disappointed but recognizes the Prime Minister’s “good intentions” and good international results.
According to the latest opinion surveys, Labor could lose up to 2,000 seats in England and especially the majority in the Welsh Parliament, which would be a first since its creation in 1998.
In Wales, the left-wing nationalist party Plaid Cymru is slightly ahead of Reform UK, according to a Survation poll released on Wednesday.
The progression of anti-immigration training would confirm, as elsewhere in Europe, the fragmentation of the political landscape, long dominated by Labor and Conservatives.
The Tories led by Kemi Badenoch could lose around 600 seats in England.
In London, Labour’s stronghold, the Greens are hoping for significant gains, under the leadership of their new leader Zack Polanski who has accentuated the party’s left-wing positioning.
In Scotland, the independent SNP party, in power for 19 years, intends to retain the majority, and Labor risks losing ground.
A new victory for the SNP would open up “the possibility of choosing our own future by referendum”, said the Scottish Prime Minister and leader of the SNP, John Swinney on Thursday. The Scots rejected independence in a referendum in 2014.
“Progress versus division”
There is “dissatisfaction with the two (historical) parties, which are perceived as having failed in power”, underlines Tim Bale, professor of political science at Queen Mary University of London.
Keir Starmer’s action as Prime Minister garners 70% negative opinions, according to a YouGov poll on April 20.
On the offensive, the Labor leader called on Wednesday evening for voters to choose “progress (…) against the division and anger proposed by Reform or the empty promises of the Greens”.
“We are the only party to vote for if you want real change in this rapidly deteriorating country,” Reform leader Nigel Farage, who voted in his stronghold of Clacton-on-Sea (south-east), said on X.
During the campaign, Labor unearthed racist and conspiratorial remarks made by Reform candidates, as well as anti-Semitic remarks by certain Green candidates. Zack Polanski had to explain certain statements after a series of attacks against the Jewish community in recent weeks in London.
Keir Starmer remains weakened by the Peter Mandelson affair, appointed ambassador to Washington despite his links with the American sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein.
According to British media, Labor MPs are maneuvering to obtain his departure, despite the absence of an obvious successor.
A reshuffle is also mentioned to try to revive the government, whose next meeting is the very solemn speech of the king next week. Charles III will detail future bills prepared by the executive.
This article has been automatically published. Sources: ats / afp
