Voters in the UK went to the polls in local government elections yesterday where they were expected to punish British Prime Minister Boris Johnson over a cost-of-living crisis and fines for breaking his own COVID-19 lockdown rules.
The elections are seen as a test of support for Johnson, who became the first British leader in living memory to have broken the law while in office when he was fined last month for attending a birthday gathering in his office in 2020.
A sharp rise in global energy prices that has pushed up consumers’ gas and electricity bills is now also feeding through to the cost of goods in shops, putting more pressure on household budgets.
Photo: AFP
A poor set of results would increase the pressure on Johnson, who faces three investigations and the possibility of more police fines over his attendance at other lockdown-breaking gatherings.
However, some lawmakers among Johnson’s governing Conservatives say that while the party might perform badly in some of its traditional supportive regions in southeast England, critics might not have the numbers to trigger a coup against the prime minister.
“I don’t think they have the numbers. It’s not wise to move until you do have the numbers,” one Conservative former minister said on condition of anonymity, referring to several unsuccessful attempts to oust Johnson’s predecessor, Theresa May.
Photo: Reuters
Votes are to decide almost 7,000 council seats across the UK, determining the makeup of 140 local government authorities, which are responsible for the day-to-day provision of public services.
Accompanied by his dog Dilyn, Johnson went to a polling station at Methodist Central Hall, a short walk from his Downing Street residence, to cast his vote.
The results would not directly affect his practical ability to govern, because the vote does not cause seats in parliament to change hands.
However, with the main opposition Labour Party trying to press its criticism of the government’s response to the cost-of-living crisis, a poor performance could embolden critics in his party who wonder if he is still an electoral asset ahead of the next general election that must be held before the end of 2024.
An analysis by pollster Find Out Now and political consultancy Electoral Calculus suggested the Conservatives could lose about 800 council seats and Labour could gain control of about 20 councils.
Academics Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher said that a loss of 350 Conservative seats would be bad for the party.
“Unless the results are catastrophically bad, I expect Johnson will be damaged, but he will continue to limp on,” Travers said. “At the moment, he is helped by the lack of any obvious successor.”
Two of the key results in London would be Wandsworth and Westminster, both traditionally Conservative strongholds that now could be within the reach of Labour.
Results are expected to start coming in from the early hours today.
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