Local elections 2025: Ask chief political commentator John Rentoul anything in exclusive Q&A – UK Times

Welcome to an exclusive Ask Me Anything session with me, John Rentoul, The Independent’s chief political commentator.

Keep scrolling for more. If you want to jump straight to the Q&A, click here.

Votes are being counted in local council and mayoral elections across parts of England.

These are the first local elections since the general election was held in July 2024 — a pivotal test for all the major parties, and the results could reveal a glimpse into the future of British politics.

In an exclusive interview with The Independent, polling guru Professor Sir John Curtice said less than half of voters told pollsters they would vote for one of the two main parties, in a historic shift in voting patterns.

Labour, fresh from its return to government last summer, is under pressure to consolidate its gains, but faces discontent in key heartlands after a string of controversial policy decisions. The Conservatives, battered by years of scandal and now out of Westminster power for the first time since 2010, are fighting to hold their ground in councils they have dominated for decades.

Meanwhile, Nigel Farage’s Reform UK hopes to convert its surge in national opinion polls into real-world wins, with targets ranging from mayoral races in Lincolnshire and Hull to Labour’s Doncaster stronghold. Those ambitions received a dramatic boost after Reform’s candidate, Sarah Pochin, won the high-stakes Runcorn and Helsby parliamentary by-election, overturning Labour’s majority of nearly 15,000 votes to snatch a seat the party had held for over 40 years.

The result, decided by just six votes after a tense recount, represents a seismic blow to Sir Keir Starmer and signals that Reform poses a threat not only to the Conservatives but to Labour as well.

The by-election, triggered by the resignation of Labour MP Mike Amesbury following a conviction for assaulting a constituent, was seen as the first major electoral test for both Reform and Starmer’s Labour nine months into the new government.

With dozens of councils, mayoralties and now a stunning parliamentary upset in Runcorn and Helsby up for grabs, the results could reshape the political map in ways that will reverberate far beyond the local elections.

So, which seats matter? How much trouble are the Tories and Labour in? How did Reform turn headlines into votes in Runcorn?

Join me live at 12pm BST on Friday, 2 May, as I answer your questions on all the key contests, party strategies, and what the results so far tell us about Britain’s fast-changing political landscape.

Submit your questions in the comments below. If you’re not already a member, click “sign up” in the comments section to participate. For a full guide on how to comment, click here.

Don’t worry if you can’t see your question right away – some may be hidden until the Q&A starts. See you at 12pm!