Overview
- Voters across Britain, who went to the polls Thursday, are choosing the Scottish and Welsh parliaments and about 5,000 council seats in 136 English authorities, with most results expected on Friday.
- A late YouGov snapshot put Reform UK on 25% nationally, ahead of Labour on 18%, Conservatives on 17%, Greens on 15% and Liberal Democrats on 14%.
- Pollsters expect both Labour and the Conservatives to shed large numbers of local seats, opening space for Reform UK, the Greens and Liberal Democrats and raising the odds of coalition control in many councils.
- In Scotland and Wales, nationalists could shape devolved governments, with the SNP projected to finish first in Holyrood without a clear majority and Plaid Cymru challenging for first place in an expanded 96-seat Senedd.
- A poor Labour showing could spark a leadership push inside the party, with Wes Streeting, Angela Rayner and Andy Burnham floated by outlets, though Starmer has said he intends to serve through 2029.