Local elections

The 7 May local elections saw many independent socialist candidates achieve only derisory votes. John Tummon asks whether there is a viable electoral strategy for the socialist left, or whether, in the short term, the left would be better off throwing in its lot with the Greens in council elections.

The rise in support for Reform is a worrying development and needs to be addressed. In this fourth article in a series for The Left Lane, Fiona Ranson addresses some of the key factors that have led to the electoral growth of Reform and what needs to be done to defeat them.

In the third article in our series on Reform and how to defeat them, newly-elected Newcastle city councillor Jamie Driscoll explains how the Greens won a seat in the working-class ward of Walker in the city.

With the majority of results still to declare, there are still some clear signs from the local elections that took place across the country yesterday, says Andy Walker.

We take a look ahead to the local and national elections taking place on 7 May and what the results might mean for the left and the UK as a whole.

Earlier this month, Your Party’s parliamentary leader Jeremy Corbyn endorsed the Aspire Party for the May 2026 council elections in the London borough of Tower Hamlets. He called it “a clear example of what is possible when local government prioritises social justice”. Below, in an open letter to Jeremy Corbyn, we publish a counter view written by a local Bangladeshi socialist.

The Trade Union and Socialist Coalition is fielding its largest contingent ever in the 7 May local elections in England. Might being the most prominent explicitly socialist grouping standing help them benefit from the shattering of the historical allegiance to Labour?