Local Elections 2024
107 councils, 13 combined authority Mayors (four of which will be new) and the Greater London Authority will be subject to elections on 2nd May 2024.
2nd May also marks the ten-year anniversary of negotiations to create the first Metro Mayors outside of London, and the moment that the majority of England’s population will now be represented by an elected Mayor.
There’s a high likelihood of a General Election this year, and many are still reeling from the major May 2023 local elections. These saw the Conservatives lose over 1,000 council seats, Labour become the biggest party in local government for the first time since 2002, and Lib Dems, Green and Independents romp home to victory in much of the country.
All of this makes 2nd May 2024 another major event in the political calendar.
Cavendish is delivering insight from our teams in the North, Midlands and South to analyse how the build up to and results of polling day will present challenges and opportunities to your business.
Click an area below to read our regional analysis and updates.
North
Midlands
South
North
Whilst polling is less widespread in the North this year than it was 2024, multiple local authorities are being elected to, as are six of the seven Mayoral Combined Authorities in the region (two for the first time – North Yorkshire and the North East of England).
George Galloway’s victory in the Rochdale by-election in February 2024 provides a figurehead for Labour’s previously loyal Muslim voters, who have been drifting away from the party over the leadership’s position over the middle east conflict. This could cost Labour seats in parts of the region.
While Labour can nonetheless be expected to make progress, the extent of this progress will be determined by voter turnout.
Midlands
There are 14 local authorities up for election across the Midlands. Whilst this doesn’t sound like much, alongside this are elections for 2 regional Mayors and 9 Police and Crime Commissioners. This will thus be a region of political change over the next year.
A significant majority of councils across the region last year fell to Labour control or no overall control. Across the Midlands this May that trend will continue, with the Conservatives likely to lose more councils. In places like Cannock Chase, it is likely the council will swing to Labour for the first time in several years.
South
Whilst 2023 was the major year for local elections in the region, there are still 56 councils in the South with seats up in May 2024. 36 will elect a third of the council, 16 will hold all-out elections and four will elect half of the council.
In the vast majority of these councils (just over 40) the Liberal Democrat / Labour / Green / Residents Associations / Independent pattern of control that became dominant in 2023 will continue – along with the explicitly anti-development approach in many of these cases.
Overall, the results look likely to mark the low point of Conservative controlled councils and number of Conservative councillors across the region. For the next few years across the South of England, a Conservative controlled local planning authority will be a rare species.
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