Local elections: Tories face the ballot box as councils go to the electorate

On Thursday each of the four Black Country councils will hold elections for around one third of councillors, while 13 seats will be up for grabs on Cannock Chase Council.

The elections see Labour defending the vast majority of seats and hoping to improve on last year’s historically poor results across the region.

On that occasion the Tories gained more than 30 councillors across the Black Country and seized overall control of Cannock Chase for the first time after picking up 12 seats.

Labour blamed its wretched performance on Boris Johnson enjoying a “vaccine bounce”, and regional bosses will be hoping to get a bounce of their own this year due to ‘Partygate’, the cost of living crisis and the Tories plummeting in the polls nationally.

In Sandwell the Conservatives have something of a free hit, with Labour having won all 24 seats the last time they were up for election in 2018.

Dudley – so often seen as a bellweather for national opinion – has swung drastically towards the Conservatives over the last few election cycles.

It will be watched by political pundits nationally to see if recent scandals in Downing Street, plus economic difficulties, have had an effect on the electorate. Somes sources suggest that a poor showing from the Tories nationally could lead to a leadership challenge to Boris Johnson.

Labour is defending 17 out of 20 seats in Wolverhampton, while Walsall will see the Tories attempt to build on last year’s gains which saw the party strengthen its grip on power.

Cannock Chase will see the main opposition parties’ Labour and the Chase Community Independents attempt to eat into the Conservatives majority of seven.

Results will be declared overnight in Dudley, Sandwell and Wolverhampton, with Cannock Chase and Walsall set to announce their results on Friday afternoon.

Polling stations open from 7am on May 5.