Key occasions
Tories brace for heavy losses in English council elections and mayoral contests
Good day and welcome to the Guardian’s dwell protection of the 2024 native elections.
It may very well be a protracted night time for native Conservatives because the get together braces for the potential of heavy electoral losses that might destabilise Rishi Sunak’s premiership.
The elections, that are thought-about the final take a look at of voters’ opinion earlier than the upcoming common election, anticipated later this yr, cowl greater than 2,600 seats throughout 107 English councils (metropolitan, unitary and district).
Labour and the Conservatives are every defending about 1,000 seats, and psephologists predict that the Tories might lose about 500. Even the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, is on document as saying the get together expects to endure “important losses”.
In addition to councils in elements of England being chosen, 37 police and crime commissioners may even be picked throughout England and Wales, together with the London mayor and meeting, 9 mixed authority mayors and one single authority mayor (Salford).
On high of all this, a byelection will choose the brand new MP for Blackpool South, after former Conservative MP Scott Benton resigned within the wake of a lobbying scandal. Labour is predicted to win. The outcomes are anticipated early on Friday morning.
I will probably be taking you thru into the early hours and main the weblog till about 6am, bringing you the important thing outcomes as they arrive in, with newest reactions and evaluation.
Here’s a breakdown of what we expect to be known as in a single day:
Councils:
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12.30am: Broxbourne
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1.30am: Hartlepool, Rochford, Sunderland
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2am: Bolton, Gosport, Ipswich, Newcastle upon Tyne, North East Lincolnshire, South Tyneside, Wigan
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2.30am: Chorley, Eastleigh, Fareham, Hart, Oldham, Portsmouth, Rushmoor, Southend-on-Sea
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2.45am: Exeter
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3am: Harlow, Kingston upon Hull, Lincoln, Sefton, Tameside, Thurrock
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3.15am: Studying
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3.30am: Colchester, Gateshead, Redditch, Stockport
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4am: Peterborough, Plymouth
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4.30am: Southampton
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5.30am: Winchester
Police & crime commissioners:
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1.30am: Cumbria
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2.30am: Avon & Somerset
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3.00am: Lincolnshire
You’ll be able to learn all of the council outcomes dwell on our tracker right here.