Local elections 2025: Guide to every council and mayoral contest
A total of 1,641 council seats are up for grabs across 23 local authorities.
Voters go the the polls in England on May 1 in the first big test at the ballot box for political parties since Labour won the general election.
A total of 1,641 council seats are up for grabs across 23 local authorities, while four regional mayors and two local mayors will be elected.
A parliamentary by-election is also taking place to choose a new MP for the constituency of Runcorn & Helsby.
Most of the council seats were last contested in May 2021, at a time when the then-Conservative government, led by former prime minister Boris Johnson, was enjoying a spike in popularity following the successful roll-out of the first Covid-19 vaccines.
This means the Tories are defending a large number of seats across much of the country: they currently control 19 of the 23 local authorities holding elections on May 1, either as the majority party or a minority administration.
Every seat on all 23 authorities is up for grabs this year, but boundary changes mean some areas will be electing fewer councillors than before.
Here the PA news agency looks at the state of play in every council and mayoral contest.
All estimated declaration times are for Friday May 2.
Councils:
– Buckinghamshire (estimated declaration time: 3pm)
The Conservatives’ long dominance of local politics in Buckinghamshire has turned the council into not so much a blue wall as a blue fortress.
The party has enjoyed a majority here since 1974 and currently has 105 of the 147 seats.
Boundary changes at this election mean the council is being cut in size to 97 seats, so the Tories are guaranteed to see a drop in numbers, though they are likely to remain in control.
– Cambridgeshire (6pm)
The Liberal Democrats are currently the largest party on Cambridgeshire council but do not have a majority, holding 23 of its 61 seats.
They have run the council for the past four years as a joint administration with Labour and independents, with the Tories (21 seats) as the main opposition.
The Lib Dems will hope to improve their position at this election and get closer to majority control.
– Cornwall (6pm)
The Conservatives won a majority in Cornwall in 2021, but defections and resignations have left them running the council as a minority administration with 40 of its 87 seats.
The Lib Dems (13 seats) are hoping to advance at this election, though the main independent group (16 seats) could also do well.
– Derbyshire (4.30pm)
Labour performed strongly across Derbyshire in the district elections in 2023 and again at the 2024 general election.
The Conservatives have run the county council since 2017 and are defending 40 of its 64 seats, while Labour currently has 15.
With the Lib Dems and Reform also eyeing gains, the Tories may lose overall control.
– Devon (6pm)
The Tories have a comfortable majority here at present, with 40 of the 60 seats.
But while the Liberal Democrats are currently far behind in second place with nine seats, they have high hopes of building on their success in this area at the general election.
A good outcome for the Lib Dems would be denying the Tories a majority; an outstanding outcome would be taking full control.
– Doncaster (3pm)
This is the only council Labour is defending at this year’s elections.
The party has enjoyed a majority here since 2010 and currently has 41 of the 55 seats.
Reform are Labour’s main threat and are treating Doncaster as a top target – meaning the outcome will be a useful guide to how Sir Keir Starmer’s party is faring in one of its traditional heartlands.
– Durham (1pm)
Labour has the most seats on Durham council (52 out of 126), but has been shut out of power for the past four years by a multi-party coalition that includes the Tories, the Lib Dems, Greens and various independents.
Before losing control in 2021, Labour had enjoyed a majority in Durham continuously since 1925.
At this election the council is being reduced in size from 126 to 98 seats, which makes the outcome hard to predict. Labour will hope to regain full control, but is facing a new challenge from Reform.
– Gloucestershire (4pm)
The Conservatives won full control here in 2021 but resignations have left the party without a majority and having to run the council as a minority administration with 26 of the 53 seats.
A strong showing by the Lib Dems (currently on 16 seats) could see them replace the Tories as the largest party.
– Hertfordshire (4pm)
This council has been under Conservative majority control since 1999 but the party is defending a slim majority and currently holds 42 of its 78 seats.
An upset could be on the cards, spearheaded by the Lib Dems who are treating this area as a key battleground and who go into this election as the main challenger with 22 seats.
– Kent (7pm)
Kent is another council where the Conservatives are heading into the elections with a healthy majority (55 of 81 seats) but where they face challenges from more than one party.
Reform has three councillors here and hopes to gain more, as do the Lib Dems (six) and Labour (six).
If the Greens or independent candidates also do well, the Tories could lose overall control.
– Lancashire (1.45pm)
The Tories are defending a tiny majority here.
The party goes into the election holding 46 of the council’s 84 seats, with Labour the main opposition on 26.
Further challenges could come from Reform (currently on two seats) and independents (five).
– Leicestershire (3pm)
The Conservatives have been the majority party in Leicestershire continuously since 2001.
They currently hold 40 of its 55 seats, with both the Lib Dems (nine) and Labour (four) far behind, while Reform have no councillors at all.
With no obvious big challenger, the Tories could lose seats here while still remaining the largest group on the council.
– Lincolnshire (5pm)
The Conservatives are in a strong position here, defending 53 of the 70 seats.
All the other parties are starting from a very low base – Labour on four and Reform on three, for example.
A Tory wipeout seems unlikely, though Reform could make gains given the party’s strong showing in this area at the general election.
– North Northamptonshire (5pm)
This is a relatively new council, having been created in 2021.
The Conservatives are currently dominant, holding 50 of its 78 seats, but Labour (16) and Reform (four) both hope to make gains.
Boundary changes mean the size of the council is dropping to 68 seats.
– Northumberland (7am)
This council is currently run by a Conservative minority administration, with the party holding 33 of 67 seats.
Labour (18 seats) is the main opposition and will hope to improve its standing, though Reform and independent candidates could also make gains, ensuring Northumberland remains in no overall control.
The total number of seats on the council is increasing at this election from 67 to 69.
– Nottinghamshire (5pm)
The Tories face one of their toughest tests here.
They go into the election with a tiny majority, holding 34 of the council’s 66 seats, and face challenges from Labour (14 seats) and the Ashfield Independents (10) as well as Reform, which is hoping to build on its success in the Ashfield constituency at last year’s general election.
– Oxfordshire (5pm)
As with the neighbouring Cambridgeshire council, the Liberal Democrats are the largest party here but do not have a majority, currently holding 20 of its 63 seats.
They have run the council since 2021 in a joint administration with other parties, with the Conservatives the main opposition.
The Lib Dems performed strongly in this area at the general election and in recent district elections, so will hope to make enough headway on May 1 to take full control. The total number of seats on the council is increasing from 63 to 69.
– Shropshire (4pm)
The Tories currently hold 37 of the 74 seats in Shropshire: just short of an outright majority but enough to enable them to run the council as a minority administration.
The Lib Dems are in second place (18 seats) and Labour third (nine), with both hoping to advance this year, while additional gains by smaller parties could leave the Tories unable to hold on to power.
– Staffordshire (4pm)
This is another Conservative stronghold: the party has enjoyed a majority here since 2009 and currently holds 53 of its 62 seats.
Defending such a high number will be a challenge, particularly given Labour’s success in the area at the general election, though it would be a real shock if the Tories lost control.
– Warwickshire (5pm)
The Tories have had a majority here since 2017 and currently hold 41 of the 57 seats.
The main challenge on polling day is likely to come from the Lib Dems, who did well in the county at the general election but who are starting from a low base of just five seats, one behind Labour.
– West Northamptonshire (7pm)
Like its neighbour North Northamptonshire, this council was created in 2021.
The Conservatives currently have a majority with 57 of the 93 seats, but Labour (20 seats) did well in this area at the general election, while Reform already has councillors in North Northamptonshire and is hoping to advance here.
There is an added challenge for the Tories from boundary changes, which see the council reduced to 76 seats.
– Wiltshire (6pm)
The Conservatives have enjoyed a majority here since 2000 and currently hold 57 of the 98 seats.
As with other councils in the south-west, the Tories’ main challenger this year are the Liberal Democrats, who are buoyed by their success in this region at the general election and who hope to build on their current tally of 29 seats.
– Worcestershire (5pm)
The Tories have had a majority in Worcestershire since 2005 and are defending 37 of the council’s 57 seats.
There is no main challenger at this election and the story here could be one of smaller parties chipping away at the Conservatives’ lead, particularly the Greens (who currently have five seats), the Lib Dems (three) and Reform (two).
Mayors:
– Cambridgeshire & Peterborough (3pm)
Labour’s Nik Johnson won here in 2021 but he is not standing this time.
The Conservatives will be hoping for a repeat of the success when they won in 2017, but the Lib Dems performed strongly in this area at the general election and it could be a close three-way contest.
All this year’s mayoral elections are being held using the first-past-the-post system – the same as for parliamentary elections – which is different to 2021, when voters could express a first and second preference.
– Doncaster (5am)
Ros Jones has been the Labour mayor of Doncaster since 2013 and is hoping to be re-elected for what would a fourth term in office.
Ms Jones won comfortably at the previous election in 2021 with the Tories finishing second, but a greater number of candidates are standing this year, which may lead to a closer result.
– Greater Lincolnshire (3.30am)
This is one of two new mayoral positions that are being contested for the first time this year.
All the main parties are fielding candidates here, but given the electoral history of the area it is likely to be a two-horse race between the Conservatives and Reform.
The Tories have picked the leader of North Lincolnshire council Rob Waltham, while the Reform candidate is former Tory MP Dame Andrea Jenkyns.
– Hull & East Yorkshire (2.30pm)
The second of this year’s new mayoral positions is being contested by all the main parties.
The outcome is hard to predict, with the Conservatives, Labour and Lib Dems all having support in different parts of the region.
Reform have picked the former boxer and Olympic medallist Luke Campbell as candidate.
– North Tyneside (2am)
Norma Redfearn has been the Labour mayor here since 2013, but she is not standing this time.
The area is one of Labour’s north-east heartlands and the party’s candidate Karen Clark is favourite to win, though a low turnout could mean the result is closer than expected.
– West of England (2am)
Dan Norris won here for Labour in 2021 but he is not standing this time.
The role covers Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol and South Gloucestershire and takes in areas of the country where Labour, the Lib Dems and the Greens all enjoyed success at the 2024 general election.
Labour’s chances may be affected by Mr Norris’s recent suspension from the party after he was arrested on suspicion of sexual offences.
