2021 United Kingdom local elections

2021 United Kingdom local elections
Ben Shread · OGL 3 · source
Election name	2021 United Kingdom local elections
Country	United Kingdom
Type	parliamentary
Previous election	2019 United Kingdom local elections
Previous year	2019
Next election	2022 United Kingdom local elections
Next year	2022
Election date	6 May 2021

2021 United Kingdom local elections were held on 6 May 2021 across England, Scotland and Wales, coinciding with elections for the Scottish Parliament, the Senedd, and various Police and crime commissioner posts, as well as the postponed 2020 United Kingdom local elections in some areas. The contests involved seats for metropolitan boroughs, unitary authorities, district councils, county councils, and mayoral elections including the Mayor of London contest, producing shifts that influenced the parliamentary positioning of the Conservative Party (UK), the Labour Party (UK), the Liberal Democrats (UK), and the Scottish National Party, among others. High-profile local figures such as Sadiq Khan, Andy Burnham, Nicola Sturgeon, and Keir Starmer were politically implicated by the outcomes, which occurred in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, the negotiated Brexit settlements, and debates over the United Kingdom’s constitution.

Background

The elections followed the postponement of polls originally scheduled for 2020 because of the public health measures introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom and decisions by the Cabinet Office. They were contested after the completion of the Withdrawal Agreement and as the United Kingdom general election cycle approached, with national leaderships of the Conservative Party (UK), led by Boris Johnson, and the Labour Party (UK), under Keir Starmer, seeking local momentum. The electoral calendar also intersected with devolved politics including the 2021 Scottish Parliament election and the 2021 Senedd election, where parties such as the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru campaigned on issues tied to devolution and the Unionism in the United Kingdom debate. Local campaigning referenced policy legacies from the Austerity in the United Kingdom period and responses to the pandemic coordinated by entities such as the National Health Service and local elected authorities like the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

Electoral system and timetable

The contests employed a mix of electoral systems: first-past-the-post for most district council and unitary authority seats, multi-member plurality in some metropolitan borough wards, and the supplementary vote for mayoral elections such as Mayor of London. County council elections used single-member divisions under first-past-the-post, while some elections used whole-council cycles and others used elections by thirds, as practiced in authorities like Birmingham City Council and Leicester City Council. Polling took place on 6 May 2021 with advance voting and proxy arrangements regulated by the Representation of the People Act 1983 and emergency adaptations following guidance from the Electoral Commission (United Kingdom). Timetables for candidate nominations and result declarations were influenced by local returning officers including officials from councils such as Liverpool City Council and Westminster City Council.

Results summary

Overall results saw the Conservative Party (UK) make net gains in English county councils and in some unitary authority contests, while the Labour Party (UK) suffered losses in traditional strongholds but consolidated in urban areas including parts of London and Manchester. The Liberal Democrats (UK) registered gains in southwest England and Cotswolds District Council-type rural districts, whereas the Green Party of England and Wales increased representation in councils such as Brighton and Hove City Council. In Scotland, the Scottish National Party remained the largest party in the Scottish Parliament election, affecting parallel local outcomes, while in Wales the Welsh Labour party held ground in the Senedd election context. High-profile mayoral outcomes included the re-election of Sadiq Khan as Mayor of London and the election of incumbents in combined authority mayoralties like Andy Burnham in Greater Manchester Combined Authority-related polling. Voter turnout varied by area, reflecting contrasts between metropolitan and rural participation and the continuing impact of COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom on electoral behaviour.

Results by council and region

England: County council contests produced notable Conservative advances in counties such as Kent, Essex, and Derbyshire, while Labour held or gained in metropolitan boroughs across West Yorkshire and Merseyside, with local councils like Sheffield City Council and Leeds City Council seeing competitive ward battles. The Westminster City Council-area results reflected national party strategies, and the Mayor of London contest centred on borough-level dynamics across Hackney, Islington, and Southwark.

Scotland: Local council elections in unitary councils such as Glasgow City Council and Edinburgh City Council interacted with the Scottish Parliament vote for parties including the Scottish Conservatives and Scottish Labour, with the Single Transferable Vote system in local government producing proportional results in many wards.

Wales: County borough councils and unitary authorities including Cardiff Council and Swansea Council saw contests between Welsh Labour, Plaid Cymru, and the Welsh Conservative Party, with local issues such as health boards and education authorities referenced in campaigns.

Northern Ireland: No routine local government elections coincided in 2021, though regional politics in Belfast and Derry~Londonderry remained influenced by the results elsewhere in the UK.

Analysis and political impact

Commentators and party strategists analysed the outcomes as indicators for the forthcoming United Kingdom general election, interpreting Conservative gains in suburban and rural counties as reinforcement of the Red Wall (British politics) realignment, while Labour’s urban resilience pointed to ongoing challenges under Keir Starmer. The results influenced leadership debates within the Liberal Democrats (UK) and Green Party of England and Wales and affected policy positioning on issues linked to Brexit implementation and public health responses managed by figures such as Matt Hancock and devolved leaders. Pundits from outlets across the British media system compared performance metrics against historic data from the 2019 United Kingdom general election and earlier local cycles, using council seat-share and vote-swing analyses to assess electoral geography shifts across regions such as the South East England and North West England.

Aftermath and subsequent developments

Following the elections, council compositions led to coalition talks and leadership changes in authorities including negotiations reminiscent of arrangements after previous cycles like those following the 2008 United Kingdom local elections. Nationally, parties adjusted candidate selection and manifesto priorities ahead of later contests in 2022 United Kingdom local elections and preparations for the next general election, with internal reviews occurring within the Conservative Party (UK), Labour Party (UK), and Liberal Democrats (UK). The electoral outcomes also informed debates in the House of Commons and among devolved administrations in Holyrood and the Senedd, shaping subsequent legislative and administrative decisions on recovery spending related to the UK government COVID-19 response and regional infrastructure investments.

Category:Local elections in the United Kingdom Category:2021 elections in the United Kingdom