LONDON, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Voters across England went to the polls on Thursday for local elections in the first major electoral test for political parties since the general election last year.
More than 1,600 seats are being contested in councils across England. The elections also cover six mayoralties and a by-election in Runcorn and Helsby in Cheshire, the first since last year's general election.
The elections are seen as a major test for the ruling Labour Party. According to The Telegraph, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's net approval ratings currently stand at -29 percentage points, the lowest on record for any incumbent prime minister to enter their first by-elections.
The staggering economy doesn't help either. Last week, the IMF downgraded its growth forecast for Britain this year to 1.1 percent, from the 1.6 percent it had previously forecast, while the Governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, said Britain faced a "growth shock" from U.S. President Donald Trump's trade policies.
The rise of the right-wing Reform UK party is a major concern in the elections, according to The Guardian. It is considered one of the front-runners to overturn Labour's near 15,000 majority in Runcorn and Helsby. Reform UK could also fare well in some of the mayoral contests, the newspaper reported.
Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, has been hoping to build on the momentum he gained last year at the general election, even expressing his ambition to replace the Conservatives as the main opposition party.
The by-election result and some mayoralties will be declared overnight on Thursday, but the majority of the council results are not expected until well into Friday. Enditem
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