Voting has begun in local elections in England, where the Conservatives are braced for heavy losses that could destabilise Rishi Sunak’s premiership.
The elections, which cover more than 2,600 seats across 107 English councils, are seen as a key test of whether the Conservative party is as unpopular with voters as the polls suggest.
Keir Starmer said in a statement on Wednesday night that people had “a chance to vote for that change, and pass a verdict on 14 years of decline”.
“A vote for Labour is for a plan to tilt our economy back towards the interests of working people and restore a sense of service to our politics,” the party’s leader said. “That change starts today, and you can vote for it. You can vote to stop the chaos, turn the page and rebuild your country.”
Ten metro mayoralties including London are being contested, as are 37 police and crime commissioners in England and Wales. There are no elections in Scotland or Northern Ireland, and no local council elections in Wales.
There is also a parliamentary byelection in Blackpool South, whose former Tory MP Scott Benton resigned after being found guilty of breaching standards rules in a lobbying scandal. Labour said it was hopeful of taking back the seat, which Benton won with a majority of 3,690 in 2019.