May 2 elections: At-a-glance guide to key results and times

Every voter in England and Wales will be able to cast a ballot in at least one type of election.
The last result of the May 2 elections is not expected until the afternoon of May 5 (Peter Byrne/PA)
PA Wire
Ian Jones25 April 2024
WEST END FINAL

Get our award-winning daily news email featuring exclusive stories, opinion and expert analysis

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

The results of the elections on May 2 are being declared over several days, starting shortly after polls close and ending on May 5.

Here is a summary of all the key contests and times.

– Thursday May 2, 10pmPolls close across England and Wales in elections for 107 local authorities, 37 police & crime commissioners, 11 mayors, the London Assembly and the Blackpool South parliamentary by-election.

– Overnight May 2 into May 3Around a third of councils are due to declare overnight, including Bolton and Hartlepool, where Labour is hoping to win overall control, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock – key tests of Conservative and Labour popularity in Essex – and Redditch in Worcestershire, where the Tories could lose their majority if the party’s vote collapses.

The result of the Blackpool South by-election is likely to be declared halfway through the night, with Labour tipped to gain this marginal seat from the Conservatives, in what would be the Tories’ 11th such defeat so far this parliament.

Three police & crime commissioner (PCC) results are also due, for Avon & Somerset, Cumbria and Lincolnshire, all of which were won comfortably by the Tories at the last PCC elections in 2021, so it would be a shock if any changed hands.

– Friday May 3, morningCounting begins for almost all the remaining councils in England, along with most PCCs and four of the mayoral elections: East Midlands, North East, Tees Valley and York & North Yorkshire.

– Friday May 3, afternoonKey council results include Dudley, where Labour could become the largest party if the Conservatives are doing badly; Solihull and Walsall, where the Tories could lose overall control; Sheffield, which is likely to see a three-way tussle between Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens over who ends up the largest party; Cannock Chase, where the Tories and Labour are currently tied; and Brentwood and Wokingham, where the Lib Dems are hoping to win an overall majority.

Of the four mayoral results due this afternoon, most eyes will be on Tees Valley, where Conservative incumbent Ben Houchen is hoping for a third term and whose re-election would give a boost to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in what could otherwise be a grim set of polls.

Some 24 PCC results are due, with Plaid Cymru keen to hold on to its one post in Dyfed-Powys and Labour looking to make gains from the Tories in areas such as Cleveland, Humberside and Lancashire.

– Friday May 3, eveningA few council results will arrive late on Friday, including Dorset, Elmbridge in Surrey and Gloucester: all places where the Liberal Democrats are hoping for big wins in “blue wall” territories.

Bristol is also due to declare, where the Greens are already the largest party but could take full control.

– Saturday May 4, morningCounting begins for some of the most high-profile contests of these elections: the mayoral contests in Greater Manchester, London and the West Midlands, along with counts for the mayors of the Liverpool City Region, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Salford, plus eight more PCCs, three councils and the London Assembly.

– Saturday May 4, afternoonBy early afternoon the outcome of the London mayoral election should start to become clear, with each of the 14 constituencies across the capital due to report their results and show whether Labour’s Sadiq Khan has won a third term in office.

A strong Labour performance in the capital could see the party gain the London Assembly seat of West Central, where the Conservatives are defending a majority of just over 2,000.

The Tories will be hoping Andy Street holds on as mayor of the West Midlands and helps offset losses elsewhere, including in the PCC elections where Labour could take back Cheshire.

– Sunday May 5, afternoonSalford is the 107th and final council due to declare, along with the PCCs for Kent and Sussex plus any late results from the previous days.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in