Local elections live: Millions vote across England in major test for Labour, Reform and Tories – UK Times

In an interview with Sky News on Wednesday, Nigel Farage claimed he expected Reform to win “two or three” of the six mayoralties up for election today, claiming he was “confident” of a win in Hull and “reasonably confident” of victory in Lincolnshire.

He also said he was “optimistic” about the Runcorn and Helsby by-election but stopped short of predicting a win.

Nigel Farage has called for an end to the NHS being funded through taxes, but refused to say how it would be paid for instead.

The Reform UK leader sparked fresh fears that patients would be charged for accessing the health service if he won a general election, arguing the current model “does not work”.

In an interview on the eve of the local elections, Mr Farage said: “I do not want it funded through general taxation. It doesn’t work. It’s not working. We’re getting worse bang for the buck than any other country, particularly out of those European neighbours.”

Our political correspondent Archie Mitchell reports:

Dogs have been photographed posing outside polling stations, as their owners encouraged people to do their “civic duty” and vote in the various elections happening across the country.

Our Whitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:

Doncaster is the only council Labour is defending at this year’s elections, and the party currently holds 41 of 55 seats here.

On a very bad night for the Labour they could lose overall control of the council to Nigel Farage’s Reform, for whom this is a top target.

Sir Keir Starmer has been dealt a fresh blow as a second Labour grandee hit out at the party’s policies as polls opened in the local elections.

After Sir Tony Blair criticised western governments for failing to do enough to tackle climate change earlier this week, former education secretary Alan Johnson warned Britain’s world class universities are “under threat” as Labour plans a crackdown on immigration.

Mr Johnson said the higher education sector is facing a “worrying” situation and urged ministers not to “make the mistake” of trying to cut net migration with measures that could “ruin or close” universities.

Our political correspondent Archie Mitchell and Whitehall editor Kate Devlin report:

Voters will “deliver gains of net zero seats” to Labour at the local elections following the party’s “kamikaze” environmental policies in government, the Tories have claimed.

Shadow minister Paul Holmes highlighted differing views between the government and former prime minister Sir Tony Blair on efforts to limit fossil fuels, before claiming that Labour is “dreading” the results of the elections.

But Commons Leader Lucy Powell countered by accusing the Tories of having a “blinkered vision” on the “opportunity of net zero”, adding that Kemi Badenoch’s leadership of the opposition is being “backseat driven” by shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick.

Today also marks the first by-election since Labour’s general election victory last July, after MP Mike Amesbury resigned following his conviction for assault.

Listed alphabetically, the candidates are:

• Catherine Anne Blaiklock (English Democrats)
• Dan Clarke (Liberal Party)
• Chris Copeman (Green Party)
• Paul Duffy (Liberal Democrats)
• Peter Ford (Workers Party)
• Howling Laud Hope (Monster Raving Loony Party)
• Sean Houlston (Conservatives)
• Jason Philip Hughes (Volt UK)
• Alan McKie (independent)
• Graham Harry Moore (English Constitution Party)
• Paul Andrew Murphy (Social Democratic Party)
• Sarah Pochin (Reform)
• Karen Shore (Labour)
• John Stevens (Rejoin EU)
• Michael Williams (independent)

Here is some analysis from our Whitehall editor Kate Devlin:

It is the Conservatives who face the most difficult challenge in today’s local elections. The last time this particular set of council elections was held was at the height of Boris Johnson’s “vaccine bounce”.

Since then, Partygate and a series of other scandals have reversed the party’s fortunes, leaving it out of power in Westminster for the first time since 2010.

But Labour could also struggle in certain seats. Despite its momentous rise to power at the general election last summer, the party has made a series of controversial decisions since then, including scrapping winter fuel allowance for millions of pensioners and sweeping welfare and international aid cuts, that could trigger a backlash from voters.

Reform’s mayoral candidate in Doncaster, Alexander Jones, was pictured leaving the polling station.