Polls have closed in thousands of council elections, as well as mayoral votes, and a key by-election test for Sir Keir Starmer.
This was the first electoral test for the main parties since the general election. Sir Keir, now an incumbent rather than opposition, Kemi Badenoch facing voters en masse for the first time, and Nigel Farage hoping to prove Reform is a real opposition to the two-party system.
The Liberal Democrats and the Greens also ran slates of candidates up and down England.
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The Runcorn and Helsby by-election is likely to be the first result to come through, with voters choosing a new MP after Labour’s Mike Amesbury resigned, after being convicted for punching a constituent.
Betting odds had Reform ahead of the incumbent party, and government parties tend to do poorly in by-elections.
Already, the Labour Party is managing expectations that they may lose the seat.
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Speaking about the by-election and polls more widely, Ellie Reeves, the party’s chair, said: “These elections were always going to be a challenge, being held largely in areas dominated by the Conservatives, often for decades. That’s why Labour candidates stood on a promise to bring change right across our country.
“There are promising signs that the Labour government’s plan for change is already starting to turn around 14 years of Tory failure.
“NHS waiting lists have fallen consistently. Free breakfast clubs are starting to roll out in every primary school. Some 3.5 million workers got a pay rise with the minimum wage increase this month, with pensions rising thanks to Labour’s commitment to the triple lock.
“But we know people aren’t yet fully feeling the benefit and we are just as impatient for change as the rest of the country. However the results turn out this evening, this Labour government will go further and faster in turning our country around and giving Britain the future it deserves.”
A Reform UK spokesperson said: “We have fought a strong campaign. The two major parties are more fearful of the results tonight than we are.”
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Torrid for the Tories?
Because of the way local elections work, there were a large number of Conservative councillors up for election, compared to the other parties.
With their favourability ratings still low, it is likely many will lose their seats.
However, they are pinning their hopes on Labour doing badly, with murmurings of disquiet about Ms Badenoch’s leadership.
A Conservative spokesperson said: “Tonight will be the first real test of Keir Starmer’s Labour government, ten months after they won an unprecedented majority at the general election.
“The Conservatives have started on the process of renewing our party under Kemi Badenoch’s leadership. But we also have always been clear that these would be tough elections for the party – defending an incredibly high watermark from 2021 when we took two-thirds of all seats.
“If the 2024 general election was replicated on today’s battleground, we would lose control of almost every single council.”
According to Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, the party is expecting “big gains” off the Tories in the Conservative’s “former middle England heartlands”.
The Greens are also anticipating a good set of elections.
Six mayoralties are also up for election tonight: Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, West of England, Greater Lincolnshire, Hull and East Yorkshire, Doncaster and North Tyneside.
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Mr Farage told Sky News political editor Beth Rigby his party have a good chance in Hull, Lincolnshire and perhaps Doncaster.
We’re expecting the by-election, a couple of mayoralties and potentially one or two councils to give results overnight. More results will come through on Friday and even over the weekend.
Join Sky News presenter Jonathan Samuels and deputy political editor Sam Coates from midnight as the results start coming in. Lead politics presenter Sophy Ridge, political editor Beth Rigby, and data and economics editor Ed Conway will be taking over on Friday to report and explain what has happened.
