The Guardian View on May 2026 Elections: A New Political Geography Is Coming Into View Across Britain
Elections scheduled for 7 May 2026 across Britain will include contests for local councils, the Scottish Parliament, and the Welsh Senedd. The outcomes are expected to shape the legitimacy of Labour and Conservative leadership ahead of the next general election.
In Scotland, the SNP is poised to secure a Holyrood majority, signaling a major political shift after nearly two decades of the party’s incumbency. In Wales, Labour faces the prospect of being in opposition for the first time since devolution, while Plaid Cymru and Reform UK are positioned for gains.
In England, both Labour and the Conservatives risk losing councillor shares amid voter shifts towards the Liberal Democrats, Reform UK, and the Greens, factors that could influence perceptions of their leadership effectiveness.
Eluned Morgan has noted that sharing a party with the prime minister poses a handicap in the Senedd campaign, while Keir Starmer is not standing for election in that contest.
Reform UK has already won two newly created regional mayoralties in Greater Lincolnshire and Hull and East Yorkshire. However, four additional mayoral elections originally planned for May 2026 have been postponed until 2028.
The evolving political landscape reflects devolution’s role in creating a new political geography. England's asymmetry and the decline of the Westminster duopoly are driving fragmentation across Scotland, Wales, and English regions. Although the English devolution bill aims for decentralisation, progress faces challenges due to Treasury reluctance and central government constraints.
