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UK Holds Biggest Elections Since 2024
(MENAFN) Voters across Scotland, Wales, and England headed to the polls Thursday in the most expansive electoral test the United Kingdom has seen since the 2024 general election, with anti-establishment parties Reform UK and the Greens emerging as front-runners amid deepening public disillusionment.
In England, roughly 5,000 seats across 136 local councils are up for grabs, alongside six mayoral contests in Watford and five London boroughs — Croydon, Hackney, Lewisham, Newham, and Tower Hamlets.
In Scotland, all 129 members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) face reelection — comprising 73 constituency MSPs and 56 regional MSPs (seven per region) in Holyrood, as the parliament is known.
Wales is witnessing its most significant democratic overhaul since powers were first devolved in 1999, as voters choose their next Welsh government and Senedd members. The parliament will expand from 60 to 96 representatives drawn from 16 newly configured constituencies.
Polling stations opened at 7 am local time (0600 GMT) and are set to close at 10 pm (2100 GMT). No photo ID is required to vote in the Scottish Parliament or Senedd elections, though all in-person voters in England's local elections must present valid photo identification — such as a passport or driver's license. In Northern Ireland, local council and assembly elections are scheduled for next May.
Multiple surveys point to mounting frustration with both the ruling Labour Party and the Conservatives. While the defining issues vary by nation — the cost of living, social concerns, policing, and immigration dominate in England and Wales, while Scottish independence remains a central flashpoint in Scotland alongside living costs and social care.
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