What you need to know about the 7 May elections in England, Scotland and Wales

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. What you need to know about the 7 May elections in England, Scotland and Wales2 days ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleJennifer ClarkeBBCThe biggest set of elections since the 2024 general election will see millions of people head to the polls on Thursday 7 May. Voters in Scotland and Wales will elect representatives to their national parliaments, while a number of local council and mayoral polls will take place in England. In Northern Ireland, local council and Assembly elections are scheduled for May 2027.

Which elections are taking place in England on 7 May? About 5,000 seats across 136 local councils will be up for grabs. Six mayoral contests will also run on 7 May, in Watford and five London boroughs - Croydon, Hackney, Lewisham, Newham and Tower Hamlets.

The Details

In council elections, voters generally have one vote for each available seat in an election area, known as a ward or division. Some wards have more than one representative. Your ballot paper will tell you how many votes you have.

Like MPs in general elections, local councillors are elected under the first-past-the-post system. The candidate or candidates with the most votes in each ward win and become councillors. The political party which wins the most seats gains control of the council.

Councils are responsible for local services including care for older people and people with disabilities, rubbish collection and recycling, housing, education and road maintenance. England elections 2026: What do local councils do? What does devolution mean and how does it work across the UK?

What Experts Say

Which elections are taking place in Scotland on 7 May? The Scottish Parliament election will decide who governs the country in key areas such as health and education and, as a result, the direction it takes on many issues. All 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) are up for re-election.

There are 73 constituency MSPs and 56 regional MSPs (seven per region) in Holyrood. Each voter has two ballot papers and casts two votes, one to elect their constituency MSP and one to elect their area's regional MSPs. Constituency MSPs are selected directly under first past the post, with the winner being the candidate who receives the most votes.

The process to select regional MSPs uses a type of proportional representation. Voters choose either a political party or an individual candidate from a list. Political parties are allocated regional seats according to a formula which includes the number of votes they receive in each region and the number of constituencies they win outright.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.