Voters go to the polls today across England and Wales in a variety of local elections. Highest-profile will be the 10 regional mayoral contests in England, including in London, Manchester, and the West Midlands. A third of the UK's local councillors - over 2,600 - are also up for election, along with all 37 Police and Crime Commissioners and the 25-strong London Assembly. There is also a parliamentary by-election taking place in Blackpool South.
These local stakeholders are amongst the most visible in the daily lives of the British electorate. They levy their own taxes and are responsible for administering highly visible elements of governance: voter-facing services like education, roads, waste management, and policing. Their impact is therefore more tangible in some areas than that of the Government in Westminster, which sets national policy through legislation.
While the politically interested tend to treat local elections as an annual stocktake of voter preference, usually in an effort to diagnose the national political mood, this year's elections are particularly relevant as we approach a General Election.
Read the full UK Local Elections report by downloading below.
