Local elections 2024: What to look out for in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire
Political parties would argue that local elections always matter.
But in a general election year they matter even more.
The polls on 2 May will settle who's in charge of a range of services at local level.
But anyone with their sights set on Number 10 will be poring over the results, looking for clues about the big one.
The outcome in the Calendar region could give them pause for thought.
It’s the first time a mayor will be elected for the York and North Yorkshire combined authority.
Charanpreet Khaira explains what's up for grabs across the region
Although this is a new race, the Conservatives will be looking at their historic success in local government in North Yorkshire, and wondering if they might have a chance.
If the polls are to be believed, that’s unlikely - but that’s why these local elections are so important.
Polls only get you so far - it’s how people actually vote, not how they say they think they will, that counts.
When we finally get to a general election, the Red Wall - those traditional Labour seats that went blue for the first time in 2019 - will be crucial for the overall result.
So the decisions made by voters at council elections in places like Rotherham, Wakefield and Calderdale will be an interesting test of whether support has swung back to Labour as much as the polls suggest.
Meanwhile, Reform UK is shouting increasingly loudly, spooking the Conservatives with significant support in recent by-elections.
With Lee Anderson, MP for Ashfield, defecting to Reform UK, it’s clear they too are circling around Red Wall voters, hoping to mop up support.
It’s unclear how much that’ll translate into council seats, but they will be hoping their candidates for Yorkshire’s three mayors enjoy support.
The Liberal Democrats want a piece of the action too.
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One source told me they plan to base their general election strategy on their performance in the local elections, targeting seats where they do well.
They’re already a strong presence on Hull’s council, but they’ll also be looking to make gains in Sheffield, as well as making their presence felt in elections for mayors in our region.
Smaller parties, like the Yorkshire Party and the Greens, shouldn’t be underestimated either - and nor should independent candidates.
In fact, they probably have more clout at a local level than in national elections.
The Yorkshire Party came third in the last elections for the West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire Mayors - they want to beat that this year.
While unlikely to make a dent in Labour’s majority, councillors switching to Independent because of Labour’s stance on Israel/ Gaza will ring alarm bells for the party - especially if they attract votes.
Kirklees and Bradford councils will be interesting to watch on that front.
The backdrop to all of this is council budgets are incredibly tight, with many struggling to make ends meet.
As much as parties and pundits want to read into results from these local elections, some people will vote solely on local issues - especially when they’re worrying about key council services like fixing potholes and collecting bins.
Of course, it’s impossible to know if voters will make the same decisions at a local level as at a national level.
But without knowing when the General Election will be, it’s the best we can do.
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