Election results timeline: when do key battlegrounds in England, Scotland and Wales report?
Labour is resigned to losses but which party its voters switch to will be crucial in shaping new political landscape
AI Summary
Local elections across England, Wales and Scotland are expected to deliver significant losses for Labour, with party strategists predicting the loss of nearly 2,000 seats. The key concern for Prime Minister Keir Starmer is not just the scale of losses but where voters are switching to—whether that's Reform UK gaining in traditional Labour areas, the Greens capitalizing in progressive cities, or independents benefiting from Gaza-related anger in places like Blackburn and Birmingham. Results will be declared in waves from Friday into Saturday, with early declarations from key battlegrounds like Hartlepool, Oxford and Dudley potentially setting the tone for understanding Labour's electoral performance and the future political landscape.