Local Elections 2025: Polls open in 23 councils as Farage gears up for huge Reform gains… with big losses for Tories

Rude awakening

Today’s local elections are set to be particularly gruelling for the Tories and struggling Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who could lose up to 500 councillors across England.

The Tories go into the elections defending the most seats and are therefore equally expected to lose the most.

Pollster Lord Hayward reckons Ms Badenoch will land on around 375-435 councillors, down 475-525 from 2021.

The main beneficiary of the Tory slump is expected to be Mr Farage, who is forecast to snaffle between 400 to 450 council seats, largely in the Midlands and North.

Kent council is also one to watch, with Reform hoping to pick up a decent chunk of disaffected Tories as they did in the General Election.

Where are elections taking place?

Voters will today elect councillors for 23 local authorities in England.

Six areas will be voting for a directly-elected mayor.

And voting is also underway for a new member of parliament for Runcorn and Helsby in Cheshire.

No scheduled elections are taking place in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.