Sir Keir Starmer visiting the Black Country today with West Midlands a key political battleground

And the 2024 local council elections will be the last major test of public opinion before then.

Labour will want to win all the seats the party possibly can to have a fighting chance of seeing Sir Keir Starmer move into No 10.

The votes will be shaped by local issues but national influences are never far away.

Sir Keir was due to visit the Black Country today, after a visit to West Bromwich by Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner yesterday.

He is due to launch the Labour Party’s local elections campaign alongside Ms Rayner and Labour’s West Midlands Mayoral candidate Richard Parker.

He will be hoping to connect with local voters and will need to bring new hope in a time when families have been struggling during a cost of living crisis.

Labour is already the ruling party on Sandwell and Wolverhampton Councils, but Dudley and Walsall Councils remain under the control of the Conservatives – yet it could all change when voters head to the polls in May.

There have already been challenges along the way for Labour with six Walsall Labour councillors, including the group leader, resigning last November over Sir Keir's stance on the conflict in Gaza.

The councillors confirmed they were resigning from Labour to sit as independents, after Sir Keir ordered Labour MPs not to vote for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Today, the Labour leader will be in the Black Country to set out a plan to tackle regional inequality and boost growth.

Only time will tell if people think his plans and promises are good enough.

With the next UK general election looming, Labour has been consistently ahead in the polls since the start of 2022.

The latest a general election could be called is January 2025.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has the power to call a general election at any point before then, but facing a potential loss, experts think that he will put it off to stay in power for longer.