Political parties enter final campaign push ahead of local elections

Campaigning for local elections across England has entered its final push in the first official test of public opinion since Labour came to power.

Voters will go to the polls in 23 areas across England on Thursday May 1 to choose new councillors.

The Runcorn and Helsby by-election is being held on the same day, as well as six mayoral contests across devolved regions of the country.

The parliamentary constituency south of Liverpool is facing a by-election because former MP Mike Amesbury stood down rather than face a recall petition after he received a 10-week prison sentence, suspended on appeal, for punching a constituent last year.

Recent polling has suggested the seat could be a surprisingly tightly fought contest between Labour and Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.

At the general election, Mr Amesbury won a clear majority for Labour over his closest opponent in the traditionally safe region for the party.

The Government is already planning how to counter Reform in the aftermath of the elections, according to the Telegraph.

The newspaper has reported ministers plan to tighten restrictions on immigration in the coming weeks in order to stave off the threat from Mr Farage, who has taken a hard line on the issue.

In a taster of what could come in a forthcoming White Paper on immigration, ministers on Sunday night announced plans to crack down on people giving immigration legal advice without proper registration.

Insurgent populist party Reform has consistently polled higher than the Tories in recent months.

More than half of the council seats going to the polls are currently held by the Conservatives, and the party’s leader Kemi Badenoch has admitted the election will be “extremely difficult”.

She has ruled out a national-level deal with Mr Farage but on Sunday told Sky News she would trust local Tory councillors should they form coalitions with his party.

“They have to do what’s right for their community,” she said, after pointing to existing Conservative coalitions at local level, like the Lib Dems and independents.

Labour is meanwhile losing its lead to Reform in some opinion polls.

Pat McFadden, a senior Cabinet Office minister, admitted on Sunday that decisions the Government had taken since coming to power has led to a sink in its popularity.

“Look, we had some tough stuff to sort out after the election last year and I accept that some of those decisions have not been the most popular, but we are starting to see things turn around now,” he said.

Consistent falls in NHS waiting lists and new health facilities were among the steps taken by the Government that he suggested would change its fortunes.

But Labour also faces a battle with its natural base of supporters, according to the Times.

Public sector pay review bodies are recommending pay rises of as much as 4% for teachers, and 3% for NHS workers, the newspaper reported.

Rachel Reeves could face a battle with the unions over the pay hike, which is above the 2.8% she has budgeted for, and which could place a strain on public finances.

Schools and hospitals could be told to make cuts as a result of the pay increases, the Times said.