A poll, published on Wednesday, 22 April, estimated that the governing Labour Party in Britain will suffer defeat in the London local elections, in a setback that would be unprecedented in five decades. The poll, conducted by YouGov for Sky News and Politico, predicted significant gains for the Green Party and the Reform Party in the British capital. Local elections in Britain are scheduled for 7 May next month, amid expectations that Labour losses will widen to include other local councils outside London.
According to the poll results, which covered a sample of voters across 32 London boroughs, the party will secure the highest vote share in only 15 boroughs, six fewer than in the 2022 elections. The results also indicate that the Green Party will take part of the voting base that Labour has held for decades, enabling it to secure the highest vote share in four boroughs. The right-wing Reform Party is expected to achieve the highest vote share in three boroughs.
Politico said the poll results provide further evidence of the scale of the challenge facing the governing party in Britain and its leader, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in some of its most important strongholds ahead of the 7 May elections across England, Scotland and Wales. The site, which described the Green and Reform parties as "populist", added that this challenge comes alongside efforts by centrist parties across Europe to push back against a populist wave from both the left and the right. Article translated from Arabic by Afrah Almatwari. To read the original, click here.