Local Elections May 2

[Bat Macdui]

Well, we may as well. I've got some local councillors and the Greater Manchester mayor to vote for. Up against King Andy is a Lib Dem with a nice corgi, a Green who looks five, the Tory, the Reform candidate (who was the Tory candidate then defected) and an Independent who wants to 'hammer criminals' and reopen pedestrianised streets to cars. Andy is promising the moon on a stick, and trains. I reckon he should do alright.

I will be watching: West Midlands mayor and Teeside. I want Ben Houchen out. Andy Street will be harder, I think. I reckon Sadiq should do alright, but I am a bit wibbly about it, I can't tell if the neck and neck reports are Labour doing expectation management or not.

I am planning (weather permitting) to spend May 3 checking in with the news between doing gardening things. It's a practice run for the GE.

Tell me what you get to vote for.

[sally maclennane]

There's no elections in Scotland. I'm hopeful for Andy and Sadiq, and that the Tories generally get a kicking. That said, if they do, they'll probably just delay the GE even longer

[Chicky]

We have a new mayor (NE combined authority) to vote for, the Labour candidate is also a friend of a friend so that’s a no brainer.

I might spoil my ballot for the police commissioner as I think the whole thing is ridiculous.

I’ll be keeping an eye on Tees Valley and the W Mids too. A Tory rout would be rather pleasing.

[Texaco Shirley]

We’ve only got police commissioner I think.

[bramblerose]

Unsurprisingly, I have the same Mayoral candidates as Bats

My new local Labour councillor looks ok. She seems to be doing stuff for the community. I haven't had anything through the door I don't think.

My ex local councillor is getting ripped to shreds on Facebook by the reformists despite him being a very good councillor but I'm hoping he gets back in.

I have the fear that complacency and not voting because "it's a Labour stronghold so what's the point" will be overtaken by the Reformists who will turn out in droves to "stop the immigrants", be it for the local council election or even for the GE as some people are unable to separate the two and also don't seem to understand the difference.

My knowledge is only from local Facebook groups

[Flora Poste]

Laurence Fox was on Mr P's ballot paper (he does postal vote). Enough said.

I'm not working the election this year as I have a meeting that was in the calendar before I got notified about the work. I am doing the count on the Friday though.

[Hobbes]

Just police commissioner here too.

[Chicky]

Does anyone have a convincing argument as to why it’s worth voting for police commissioners? Is it something else the Tories can lose at that would annoy them?

[lazzbo]

Police commissioners shouldn't be political and the whole thing is a farce.

I hope these elections are a glimpse of what's to come at the GE, i.e. the annihilation of the Tory party as we know it. Come onnnnnnn.

[Roma]

Mayor of London is the big one here, also some local elections for my borough. I’ve already submitted my postal vote.

[Pippedydeadeye]

Just police and crime here I think. I should know because I’ve been leafleting, but there’s some parish stuff happening too.

[Topcat]

Police Commissioner here and I really don't understand why we vote for that.

[Kleio]

I will be watching: West Midlands mayor and Teeside. I want Ben Houchen out.

Interestingly I just got this in the post today which is for the Teesside Mayor.

IMG_6869.jpeg

I also want Ben Houchen out and I want a proper investigation into why our steelworks were demolished and sold off for £1 an acre. Plus the dodgy stuff coming out about the Port.

He’s doing a huge smear campaign on Labour and many here hate our labour MP candidate (Anna T - not the mayoral one who is a bloke) so there’s lots of talk of voting in the Tories to get back at her.

I get to vote for the police crime commissioner too.

[rosy]

We have police commissioner and mayoral (for the East Midlands, which for this purpose is apparently Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire) elections here. I spoiled my paper for the PCC last time - I wrote "this should not be an elected position" on the ballot paper - and I might do the same this time too.

For the Mayor, we have:

• Tory, who is currently the MP for Mansfield, which he says he will give up if elected Mayor and who wants to buy the soon to be decommissioned Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station to return the investment to the public
• Labour, who used to be MP for Watford and wants wants to "link up the NHS so people can get a "skills audit", allowing them to know whether they are fit for work, but also to see if they have the right skills for the "next 20 or 30 years"
• Reform, who has been variously Labour, UKIP and Brexit party in the past, and says he doesn't think we should have an East Midlands Mayor as its a waste of money
• Lib Dem, a bookshop owner who is all about Green policies (and also is opposed to the idea of a Mayor)
• Green, who says what he does in politics is all about being creative by designing a future world that does not exist
• Independent, who says he is the only candidate who knows how to fix potholes

All of the candidates are concentrating their campaigns on reducing homelessness, fixing potholes, and improving public transport in the region.

[rosy]

Private Eye often has a lot to say about Ben Houchen, and none of it complimentary!

[Kleio]

Private Eye often has a lot to say about Ben Houchen, and none of it complimentary!

For good reason too. He’s a vile little man just out to line his pockets.

[Bat Macdui]

Jen Williams (now sadly poached from the Manchester Evening News to the FT and mostly paywalled) has a lot to say about Ben Houchen, too. I get the real sense that she personally dislikes him. Though that can happen after you spend weeks combing through Combined Authority meeting minutes for things. :wryface: I tried to talk work into an FT subscription but they basically told me bog off and pay for my own paper.

There's no elections in Scotland.

You might be getting a Scottish Parliament one in a bit if the SNP collapse without the Greens.

[Bat Macdui]

Does anyone have a convincing argument as to why it’s worth voting for police commissioners? Is it something else the Tories can lose at that would annoy them?

I tend to think your options are:

1) Research, and try and keep the most hideous one out (there's often a fascist dinosaur who think women bring it on themselves by wearing short skirts)

2) Vote for the party you like, to give them a boost

3) Vote for whoever will win against the party you hate

4) Spoil your ballot by writing something about Robert Peel turning in his grave or 'DEFUND THE MET' or similar.

[Bat Macdui]

4) Spoil your ballot by writing something about Robert Peel turning in his grave or 'DEFUND THE MET' or similar.

"I believe in the true separation of powers and this is an abomination" would do as well.

[sally maclennane]

Jen Williams (now sadly poached from the Manchester Evening News to the FT and mostly paywalled) has a lot to say about Ben Houchen, too. I get the real sense that she personally dislikes him. Though that can happen after you spend weeks combing through Combined Authority meeting minutes for things. :wryface: I tried to talk work into an FT subscription but they basically told me bog off and pay for my own paper.

There's no elections in Scotland.

You might be getting a Scottish Parliament one in a bit if the SNP collapse without the Greens.

Possibly