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A month ago, local election results dominated UK political headlines. Reform UK celebrated historic gains, Liberal Democrats became a fan favourite, and Greens climbed up the ladder.
Now that maps have stopped changing colour and victory speeches are over, the dust has finally settled and perhaps the most interesting question isn’t who won the local elections, but what they actually tell us about the state of British politics.
For many young people, local elections often feel like the forgotten cousin of the general election, receiving scraps of media coverage and low turnout. Yet local government has massive impact on young people’s daily lives.
From controlling library open times to housing networks, and managing youth clubs, who you vote as your local councillor can have a significant impact for the next four years.
Historically, voters have used local elections to send a message rather than necessarily choose future governments. Most governments have suffered losses in local elections, as voters take the opportunity to express frustration with Number 10.
Liberal Democrats for example, often get strong turnouts in local elections but struggle to grip on Number 10 and Westminster seats.
Is the same fate pending for smaller parties like Reform?
Across England, Reform UK gained more than 1,400 councillors while Labour lost nearly 1,500 seats. The Green party surged in London boroughs once considered Labour strongholds such as Hackney.
Plaid Cymru ended over a century of Labour dominance in Wales and local movements like Aspire tightened their grip in places like Tower Hamlets.
It was like a political identity crisis out in the open, with young voters at the centre of it.
For generations, British politics functioned almost tribally. Families inherited political loyalties the same way they inherited football teams.
Certain areas belonged to Labour, such as red wall seats in the North Midlands. Others have remained Conservative strongholds since before they were even incorporated into London, like Romford.
Breaking away from those traditions often felt pointless under first-past-the post voting.
This is when the candidate with the most votes wins outright, even without a majority.
However, a month later and attention has shifted away from election victories towards political performance.
Reform’s breakthrough was historic, but governing has proved considerably more difficult than campaigning. Since taking control of multiple councils nationwide, the party has faced scrutiny over candidate vetting, councillor conduct, and internal disagreements.
One of many mishaps has been in Kirklees, where newly elected councillors admitted they didn’t fully understand council procedures.
Who knew understanding local government would be part of the job description?
Well known LBC Radio host James O’Brien humorously said watching the whole fiasco was like seeing ‘Twitter in human form.’
Political commentators spent the last month shouting that the local elections were an indicator for general election trends. After all, the early 2010s’s local elections with UKIP foreshadowed the Brexit referendum.
Others remain more sceptical.
The National Centre for Social Research argued that parties like Reform UK and Restore will struggle to transition from a protest vote to a governing force.
Reform was not the only party to benefit from voter frustration, however.
In Tower Hamlets, Aspire once again demonstrated the power of local politics. Founded by former Labour mayor Lutfur Rahman, the party retained control of the borough.
Its continued success can be linked to dissatisfaction amongst the local Bangladeshi community, particularly over Labour’s handlining of issues like Gaza and boarder control.
Aspire’s win shows a bigger political trend: voters are becoming more attracted to parties that feel closer to their communities.
The Liberal Democrats also continued their steady rise. While they rarely dominate headlines, they have built strong local presence with leader of the party Ed Davey getting third place in opinion polls as a satisfactory leader, surprisingly beating other popular figures that dominate social media like Zack Polanski.
