Great Britain Prepares for 7 May Elections: Scottish, Welsh Parliaments, 136 Councils to Vote

Elections on 7 May will see contests across Great Britain, with votes scheduled for the Scottish and Welsh parliaments, and for over 5,000 councillors across 136 English councils, including all London boroughs. Six council mayoral positions are also open for election, five within London and one in Watford.

Scottish Parliament Elections

All 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament are subject to election. The Scottish National Party, led by John Swinney, currently holds the largest number of seats, having fallen one short of a majority in the 2021 election. The electoral system comprises 73 constituencies, each electing one MSP via a first-past-the-post method. An additional 56 MSPs are elected proportionally from eight regions, with each region returning seven members.

Welsh Parliament Elections

The Welsh Parliament is undergoing an expansion from 60 to 96 seats, coinciding with the introduction of a new electoral system and redrawn boundaries. The previous constituencies and regions are being replaced by 16 new constituencies, each electing six members through proportional representation. Following the 2021 election, the Labour Party secured half of the seats.

English Council Elections

More than 5,000 councillor positions are available across 136 district, metropolitan, unitary, and county councils. Elections will occur across the West Midlands, the North West, and other areas throughout England, including six county council elections split evenly between East Anglia and the South East. Labour is defending the largest share of seats, over 2,500, followed by the Conservatives with over 1,300, and the Liberal Democrats with just under 700. Most of these seats were last contested in 2022.