Voters are heading to the polls to have their say in a host of local elections across the UK on Thursday.
The Conservatives will find out in the coming days as votes are tallied whether they will be made to pay the price for the so-called partygate saga in Downing Street, which has seen Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak fined for breaking coronavirus laws.
Oliver Dowden, the Conservative Party chairman, looked to emphasise to the electorate the local choice they are making amid reports that some candidates had attempted to distance themselves from Westminster during campaigning.
“The elections today are about one thing: who do you want running your council?” said Mr Dowden.
“The choice couldn’t be starker — between Conservatives who keep council tax down and offer good services, or the opposition parties who waste money on political games and vanity projects.”
Education Minister Michelle Donelan said Mr Johnson was “an asset, not a liability” in elections.
She told Sky News she could “understand” why councillor hopefuls wanted to show they are “going to be working hard on all of those things that impact daily life” rather than focusing on what is happening in Westminster.
Mr Johnson, during a visit to Southampton Airport on the last day before polls opened, stressed he was “absolutely confident” he had the “right agenda for the country”.
The prime minister arrived at the Methodist Central Hall in Westminster on Thursday morning to cast his vote, accompanied by his dog Dilyn. He was wearing a light blue tie and shirt, a nod to the Conservative Party's colour.
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A dog waits at a polling station in London. EPA -
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson exits a polling station with his dog Dilyn after voting in the local elections in Westminster, London. EPA -
People queue outside a polling station in London. Voters are heading to the polls to have their say in a host of local elections across the UK on Thursday. Reuters -
Scotland's First Minister and Scottish National Party (SNP) leader Nicola Sturgeon poses with voters after casting her vote in Glasgow. AFP -
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria after voting in London. AP Photo -
People walk past a polling station set in the Al Madina Jamia Masjid mosque in Oldham, Lancashire, England. AFP -
People arrive to vote at a mobile polling station at Aldershot Lido in Hampshire. PA -
Fullwell Windmill polling station opens on the morning of the local elections in Sunderland. Getty Images -
A woman walks outside a polling station in St Peter's Church of Ireland on the day of the Northern Ireland Assembly elections, in Belfast. Reuters -
A dog waits for its owner outside a polling station in Sunderland. Getty Images -
Voters arrive at a polling station in a temporary building in Whitley Bay, Northumberland. PA -
A man arrives at a polling station in Cardiff, Wales. Getty Images -
Photographers surround Boris Johnson as he steps out of the Methodist Hall in central London after casting his vote. AFP
Mr Johnson appeared in good spirits and wished waiting reporters a good morning, but was otherwise tight-lipped about an election in which the Conservatives are predicted to lose hundreds of council seats.
Tory supporters will be waiting anxiously for results in true-blue London local authorities such as Wandsworth — under Conservative control for the past 44 years — Westminster and Barnet where pollsters YouGov believe Labour could cause an upset.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer used his election rallying call to highlight the “constant drip-drip of sleaze and scandal” in Mr Johnson’s administration.
As well as partygate, the Tories have been hit with a string of controversies, including former Wakefield MP Imran Nasir Ahmad Khan being found guilty of sexually assaulting a teenage boy and veteran MP Neil Parish quitting after admitting he watched pornography in the Commons.
Sir Keir said the government had broken Covid-19 regulations they had put in place “over and over again” and said the Tory “failure” to tackle the cost of living crisis had been a “disgrace”, along with the chancellor’s decision to increase national insurance last month.
“The British public shouldn’t have to put up with a government that refuses to take seriously the very real issues facing you and your family,” said Sir Keir, writing in The Daily Mirror.
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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson apologises to MPs at the House of Commons in London, having been fined after a police probe for attending a party during coronavirus lockdowns imposed by his own government. AFP -
The prime minister was no more than 30 seconds into his speech when the first shout of 'resign' was heard from the opposition benches, followed by 'you’re an embarrassment' and 'just go'. Reuters -
'I take this opportunity on the first available sitting day to repeat my wholehearted apology to the House,' he said, admitting that 'people had a right to expect better of their prime minister'. AFP -
Members of the media gather on Downing Street after police in London issued 50 fines in relation to parties and gatherings held at government buildings during Covid lockdowns. Getty Images -
The prime minister, pictured with a birthday cake baked for him by school staff at Bovingdon Primary Academy in Hemel Hempstead, said it ‘didn't occur’ to him that a gathering on June 19, 2020 to mark his 56th birthday broke coronavirus rules. AFP -
Chancellor Rishi Sunak (L) was also fined for attending lockdown parties held in and around Downing Street. AFP -
Mr Johnson is the first sitting prime minister to be censured for breaking the law, sparking calls from all sides of Parliament, including some in his own party, to step down. Reuters -
A lone protester demonstrates outside No 10 Downing Street in London. EPA -
Before the war broke out in Ukraine, Mr Johnson appeared vulnerable to the partygate controversy. He has been praised for his response to the conflict, which may offer him some protection from critics, and he visited Kyiv last weekend in what he called a show of support for the country. AFP -
Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie applaud for key health workers outside No 10 Downing Street in May 2020. Getty Images -
Boris Johnson makes a statement in the House of Commons in January, on Sue Gray's report regarding the alleged Downing Street parties during lockdown. Reuters -
A journalist highlights sections of the report by civil servant Sue Gray into parties held at Downing Street. AFP -
Mr Johnson is understood to have been present at six of at least 12 events being investigated. One occurred on the eve of Prince Philip’s funeral, at which Queen Elizabeth II had to grieve away from other mourners because of social distancing protocols. Getty Images
There have been Tory calls for Durham Police to look into whether the opposition leader broke Covid-19 rules while campaigning before last year's Hartlepool by-election.
But Sir Keir said it was a “smear” to suggest he breached the regulations while having “a takeaway and a beer while I was working late at night”.
Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said voters on Thursday have a chance to “send Boris Johnson a message he can’t ignore”.
“The Conservatives have failed to deal with the cost of living crisis, voted to pollute our rivers and abandoned our ambulance services,” he said.
“Whether it’s Somerset or Stockport, Winchester or Wimbledon, St Albans or South Cambridgeshire, I’ve spoken to lifelong Conservative voters who feel utterly taken for granted by a lawbreaking prime minister and a tax-hiking chancellor.”
The Lib Dems are hopeful of causing an upset in Hull by dislodging it from Labour’s control, while also vying for victory against the Tories in places such as Wokingham and Sutton.
In England, more than 4,000 councillors in 146 councils will be standing for election in major cities including Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham and all 32 London boroughs.
All 32 councils in Scotland and all 22 in Wales will also be holding elections, with polls open between 7am and 10pm.
Meanwhile, tensions were high in Northern Ireland ahead of Stormont elections, where voters will go to the polls across 18 constituencies to elect 90 MLAs.
England
The prime minister’s actions and their consequences have threatened to overshadow the Conservatives’ chances in the election.
Mr Johnson last month became the first British leader fined for breaking the law while in office.
The scandal, coupled with last week’s resignation of Conservative MP Mr Parish after he admitted watching porn in the House of Commons, has damaged the party’s image.
Scotland
The lead-up to local elections in Scotland has been dominated by national issues and the cost of living crisis, brought about by an increase in fuel bills, national insurance contributions and inflation.
Scottish parties have urged voters to “send a message” to the governments in Westminster and Holyrood with their votes.
The Scottish Tories have seen their popularity wane in opinion polls over the past few months, as the “partygate” affair dominated headlines, dropping to third place behind Scottish Labour in surveys done for Westminster, Holyrood and local council votes.
The Scottish Tories have also seen a downturn in fortunes in the polls over the past few months, dropping to third behind Scottish Labour in surveys done for Westminster, Holyrood and local council votes.
Wales
Labour is on track for a surge in Wales’ local elections which could see nationalists Plaid Cymru lose as many as 42 seats, according to opinion polls.
A recent survey carried out by Electoral Calculus and Find Out Now predicted the Tories could lose several councils in Wales.
Northern Ireland
Opinion polls have suggested Sinn Fein is likely to top the poll, and the Alliance Party is tipped to have a surge in support.
If they come into power, Irish nationalists Sinn Fein have pledged to hold a referendum giving voters an opportunity to decide whether to remain part of the UK for join the Republic to form a reunited Ireland.
