UK Local Elections 2026
There are local elections being held across the UK today. Voters in Scotland and Wales will elect representatives to their respective national parliaments, while in England the voting is for local councils and regional mayors. These are the first major elections to be held in the UK since the 2024 General Election which saw the Conservative government of fourteen years, fall to the Labour Party. Midterm elections are often a litmus test for how the electorate think the national government are performing although local issues are also a major factor. The consensus among political journalists and commentators is that the incumbent government is polling extremely poorly and will subsequently face a backlash. In recent years the UK has seen a decline in traditional two party voting with Reform UK and the Greens gaining significant traction among the electorate. Hence today’s elections may well see both these parties make significant gains.
There are local elections being held across the UK today. Voters in Scotland and Wales will elect representatives to their respective national parliaments, while in England the voting is for local councils and regional mayors. These are the first major elections to be held in the UK since the 2024 General Election which saw the Conservative government of fourteen years, fall to the Labour Party. Midterm elections are often a litmus test for how the electorate think the national government are performing although local issues are also a major factor. The consensus among political journalists and commentators is that the incumbent government is polling extremely poorly and will subsequently face a backlash. In recent years the UK has seen a decline in traditional two party voting with Reform UK and the Greens gaining significant traction among the electorate. Hence today’s elections may well see both these parties make significant gains.
Bexley Borough, of which I am a resident, has been a Conservative stronghold for decades. It has always returned a Conservative MP in General Elections and the local council has been Conservative controlled for the last twenty years. However, it has been targetted by Reform UK who see it as a potential beachhead into Greater London. Hence they have been actively campaigning on such issues as road maintenance, protecting the Greenbelt and addressing the existing council budget gap which is forecast to reach £17.8m by 2029/30. Houses in Multiple Occupation have also become a political football, in which residential properties are converted into individual rentable rooms with shared kitchen and bathroom faculties. These can and have been on occasion rented by the Home Office and used to house asylum seekers and refugees, although the “official” argument is made that these take local property out of the housing market.
Due to the potential for immediate gain and long term political capital, 192 candidates are standing in the Bexley Borough this year, meaning many wards are now in a three-way battle between the Conservatives, Labour and Reform UK. The latter is projected to gain 20 council seats, potentially becoming the largest party. This would leave Bexley Council with no party in overall control, leading to all the associated “horse trading” that comes with no definitive “winner”. Despite the political stakes, Local Elections seldom see a large voter turnout and there are concerns that substantial political changes could be made across the UK on very small shares of votes cast. Then there are the wider ramifications of such a political sea change and the immediate consequences they could have on the incumbent Labour government.
Bexley Council Offices
Many among the political commentariat see today’s elections as the moment Britain broke with the traditional two party system of past century (although it has not always been that way). Where the focus in Bexley Borough is on the performance of Reform UK, nationally there is a great deal of interest in the performance of the Green Party. Especially with regard to their popularity with younger voters and ethnic minorities. However, the biggest story could be Labour’s worst ever local election performance, as voters give their verdict on two years of Keir Starmer’s premiership. If such results come to pass, then there is strong chance of a leadership challenge within the Labour Party. Such a possibility would not be well received by the electorate, as the continuous infighting and changes of leadership within the last government was one of the reasons cited for them being voted out of office.
I completed my postal ballot two weeks ago. I am a floating voter with no affiliation with any of the parties, seeing none of them as fit for purpose. I am not alone in my current exhaustion with politics, the way it is conducted and reported. Both the political class and the legacy media inhabit a curious societal adjacent bubble where they assume that the public are equally as engrossed and enthralled by their esoteric machinations. Sadly the opposite is true. Both groups are blissfully unaware of the contempt in which they are held by the public, who find their indulgences tedious and exhausting. The electorate are desperate for some old school, “bread and butter” politics in which essential issues such as the economy, the funding of public services and law and order are addressed. Sadly all parties seem more concerned about “the optics”, rather than offering tangible plans and policies. I await today’s election result with a sense of resigned disappointment.
Old Farm Park COVID Memorial
There are approximately 4000 parks and green spaces in Greater London. Bexley Borough alone has over 100. Public parks and green spaces are vital to modern cities, providing essential health, environmental and social benefits. They boost physical and mental wellbeing by reducing stress and providing a place for exercise. Furthermore they enhance urban sustainability, mitigate heat, and provide a sustainable environment for a wildlife. Parks are often a venue for social activities and events and as such are an important part of the local community. Going to the park has always been a part of my life. I live next to Old Farm Park in Sidcup and have made use of this recreational space throughout my life. I used visit with my parents in the seventies, when I was a child. Thirty years later my son, father in-law and I would fly kites there. Now I take my grandchildren to Old Farm Park as it now has a playground.
There are approximately 4000 parks and green spaces in Greater London. Bexley Borough alone has over 100. Public parks and green spaces are vital to modern cities, providing essential health, environmental and social benefits. They boost physical and mental wellbeing by reducing stress and providing a place for exercise. Furthermore they enhance urban sustainability, mitigate heat, and provide a sustainable environment for a wildlife. Parks are often a venue for social activities and events and as such are an important part of the local community. Going to the park has always been a part of my life. I live next to Old Farm Park in Sidcup and have made use of this recreational space throughout my life. I used visit with my parents in the seventies, when I was a child. Thirty years later my son, father in-law and I would fly kites there. Now I take my grandchildren to Old Farm Park as it now has a playground.
Because there is an abundance of parks in the UK, they can sometimes be taken for granted. They’re often seen as local resources that you use and you don’t really think about beyond the fact that it is there. However, as these green spaces are frequently in prime locations in urban areas they are often targetted by property developers. In 2019 Bexley Council decided to resolve its financial issues by selling off one of its parks. It was a controversial decision and it was strongly reisted by residents of the borough. Even the local MP at the time, thought it unwise policy. Despite concerns, the council decision was final and Old Farm Park was selected to be sold. Fortunately, due to an access road running behind some of the houses that back onto the park, only half of the land was bought by property developers. Hence in early 2020 Old Farm Park was partitioned and building began on sixty homes in the eastern half.
Up until 2020, Old Farm Park was effectively just a field with trees around the edges Some areas were specifically left unmaintained to accommodate “rewilding”. When the park was partitioned it was decided to landscape the remaining area and build a path to circumnavigate it. Exercise areas and a children’s playground were also added. Areas of rewilding were kept and a pond was built with decking looking out over it. No doubt this redevelopment of the park was undertaken to increase the desirability and marketability of the new housing estate. Residents opinions on this makeover were mixed. The quality of some of the work was questionable and as a result, the paths have been repaired several times already. The pond was not correctly constructed and as such, has never maintained a body of water for more than a few day. Yet despite these short comings, Old Farm Park is a pleasant and safe environment.
The pandemic and the accompanying lockdown was certainly made more manageable by numerous parks in this borough. The provided a degree of freedom from the confines of our own homes and a means to meet family and friends in a safe fashion. Therefore I was both surprised and pleased to see that a decision was made by the council to redevelop the failed pond in Old Farm Park and repurpose it into a rock garden and COVID memorial. The work was carried out towards the end of February and the memorial was officially opened on Sunday 8th March. During 2020-21 over 720 people died COVID-19 in Bexley Borough. My father passed away in hospital in September 2020, although not from COVID. However, due to the lockdown, I only visited him once. Hence this is a matter close to my heart and I am pleased that there is now a place of remembrance locally. It is important that the pandemic is not quickly forgotten, so this is a welcome addition to Old Farm Park, which is itself an invaluable community asset.
