Overview
- Returning officers across multiple councils published full ward lists Friday, confirming nominations for contests in places including Walsall, Gateshead, Bolton, Salford, Hull, Southampton, Tameside, Hillingdon and Newcastle-under-Lyme.
- All-out elections will run in councils such as Walsall and Gateshead, which means every seat is up at once after boundary changes and resets how long winners serve to restore the usual cycle.
- Walsall confirmed 282 candidates and three-vote ballots in each ward with staggered four-, two- and one‑year terms, while Gateshead put all 66 seats on the line across 22 wards.
- Major parties are fielding broad slates, with Conservatives, Labour and Reform UK on nearly every ballot and strong coverage from the Greens and Liberal Democrats; Hillingdon alone listed 256 candidates across 21 wards.
- Local dynamics look fluid after Friday’s Green gain from Reform UK in a Thanet by-election and Reform’s expanded presence, as voters head toward May 7 with registration due April 20, postal vote applications due April 21 and photo ID required at polling stations.