Apathy of voters may play a role locally and nationally

LOCAL ELECTIONS are often viewed through the lens of what it means for national politics.

This time is no different. For weeks, perhaps even months, experts and analysts have been asking whether losses at the local elections would prove to be ‘the moment’ that Conservative MPs finally decided to move against the Prime Minister, submit their letters of no confidence, and choose a successor.

I am sure that come the breakfast news tomorrow morning, the headlines will be focussed on what the results mean for Number 10 Downing Street, rather than your neighbour at Number 10 around the corner.

Labour will be hoping to take seats from the Conservatives – both across the Red Wall and in London where many are focussed on the traditional Tory stronghold of Wandsworth.

A series of Labour gains will signify alarm bells for the Prime Minister, and signify that the Conservative brand and ‘Boris Brand’ have been tainted by the weeks of bad headlines on partygate lockdown rule breaking and the ever-spiralling cost of living crisis.

However, a bad night for the governing party is far from guaranteed.

While Boris Johnson and the Conservatives have fallen in the polls, and Labour have consistently been ahead for some time, officials cannot rule out voter apathy after a series of negative news stories, which could switch people off engaging with politics altogether.

Meanwhile, in recent days, Sir Keir has also been embroiled in accusations of rule-breaking, with pictures having emerged of him sharing a beer with colleagues in an office in County Durham during last year’s local election campaign when a number of socialising restrictions were still in place.

Both Boris Johnson – and possibly Sir Keir Starmer – will probably be hoping that voters will be focussed on the issues a lot closer to home.

Local election manifestos are all about bin collections, bus timetables, and pothole filling.

Candidates and councillors can have a real impact on the public’s day to day lives.

But will it be too difficult to take your eye off the national picture this time around?