Mandatory Credit: Photo by Amer Ghazzal/REX/Shutterstock (12925083g) A voter arrives with his dog in the early morning at a polling station in Wimbledon to cast a ballot at the local elections. Polling stations open at local elections, Wimbledon, London, UK - 05 May 2022
It’s a pivotal day for Boris Johnson as Britain heads to the polls (Picture: REX/Shutterstock)

Millions of people across England, Scotland and Wales are heading to the polls in a crunch day for Boris Johnson.

There are thousands of council seats up for grabs and the results could paint a significant picture of the national mood following the pandemic.

The Conservatives have distanced themselves from the Prime Minister at the local level, fearing they might pay the price for his partygate saga.

With so much at stake, we’ve taken a look at the seven key battlegrounds to keep an eye on.

7 KEY LOCAL ELECTION BATTLE GROUNDS Metro Graphics
Keep your eye on these key battlegrounds (Picture: Getty/iStockphoto)

WANDSWORTH 

This south-west London Tory council was famously Margaret Thatcher’s ‘favourite’ local authority and has been in blue hands since 1978.

It has the capital’s lowest council tax rates, but the Tories are in for a fight to stop Labour capitalising on the woes of their scandal-hit leader in Downing Street.

Labour activists launched a massive doorstep campaign to win the council in the hope of delivering a crushing blow to Mr Johnson.

They will only need a small swing to flip control of the council, with 33 Tory seats to Labour’s 26.

HARTLEPOOL 

Labour suffered a huge blow to the Tories in the Hartlepool byelection last year.

The North East town voted in their first ever Conservative MP, building on Mr Johnson’s Red Wall revolution at the last General Election.

At the time, the PM was performing well in the polls following a successful vaccine programme, but he has been embroiled in controversy for months.

If Hartlepool’s Conservatives lose any of their 13 seats on the council, with Labour close behind on 11, it could provide a key understanding of the national mood.

AMBER VALLEY 

This part of Derbyshire has been the ultimate bellwether for general elections since the 1980s, always voting with the winning party.

The area’s council is firmly controlled by the Tories who have 28 seats to Labour’s 15, with 15 seats at play today.

If there is a big swing to Labour or the Tories, it could provide another indication of how the nation is feeling.

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 05: British Prime Minister and Conservative Party Leader Boris Johnson arrives to cast his vote at a polling station on May 5, 2022 in London, United Kingdom. Voters go to the polls in the local elections today to decide seats on 146 unitary, metropolitan, district and London councils in England, 32 councils in Scotland, 22 councils in Wales and for seven directly elected mayors in England. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
A man takes his dog for a walk to the polling station (Picture: Getty)

BURY 

Sir Keir Starmer and the PM have both visited the North West town ahead of a nail-biting race.

All 51 seats on Bury Council are up for grabs in an area which has some of the most marginal parliamentary seats in the country.

Christian Wakeford, MP for Bury South, dramatically defected from the Tories to Labour in January.

The council is run by Labour who have 28 seats to the Tories’ 23.

GLASGOW 

Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP are fighting hard to stop Labour winning back Glasgow.

A loss could show her grip on Scotland is weakening and damage her push for a second independence referendum.

There are 85 seats up for grabs in the historically Labour city. The SNP won 39 seats against Labour’s 31 in 2017. 

SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND - MAY 05: A dog waits for its owner as polling stations open across the country in the local elections on May 05, 2022 in Sunderland, England. Voters go to the polls in the local elections today to decide seats on 146 unitary, metropolitan, district and London councils in England, 32 councils in Scotland, 22 councils in Wales and for seven directly elected mayors in England. (Photo by Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)
Dogs and their humans are both going to the polls of course (Picture: Getty)

WOKINGHAM

This Berkshire town is part of the Conservative’s southern heartlands.

But the Tories are having to fend off a campaign blitz from the Liberal Democrats, whose leader Sir Ed Davey has been hammering them over law-breaking in No 10.

They currently have 31 councillors to the Lib Dems’ 18, but there could be significant swings across the home counties following months of political turmoil.

BOLTON 

Bolton has form for backing the winner in general elections and is seen as another temperature check for how Labour and the Tories are performing.

The town’s council couldn’t be tighter, with the Tories holding 20 seats to Labour’s 19.

Everything is to play for in this race, with both parties hoping to post a big win in the North West.

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