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Local and devolved elections 2026

On Thursday 7 May, voters across Scotland, Wales and England headed to the polls in a major set of local and devolved elections.

21 JAN 2026

The local and devolved elections on 7 May 2026 represented a major political test for Keir Starmer, the first ministers of Scotland and Wales, and local leaders across England. Highest profile were the Scottish parliament and Senedd Cymru (Welsh parliament) elections that determined who becomes the first ministers of Scotland and Wales.

In England, several thousand council seats were contested across London, and a number of metropolitan boroughs, and county, district and unitary councils elsewhere in England. Plans to elect six new regional mayors as part of the government’s devolution priority programme have been delayed.

The Institute for Government followed the campaigns, explaining why these elections matter and analysing the results. Watch this space for all our elections content.

Watch our video on the local elections in England

Watch our video on the devolved elections in Scotland and Wales

What will the 2026 devolved elections mean for Scotland, Wales and the UK?

An expert panel, featuring Professor John Curtice, preview the following day’s Scottish and Welsh elections and explore the significance of the results.