UK local elections: Britons vote today and Boris Johnson’s fate depends on the balance

Local elections have already begun in Britain and it is rare in British history that they will have such an impact on the central government as this time. The fate of the prime minister Boris Johnson and his leadership is in the game. They will finish at 10 pm but the result will be known throughout the morning and on Friday, around noon.

From the north to the south of the country, in Northern Ireland, in Scotland and Wales, voters are likely to determine the future of Boris Johnson after his decisions on Covid, the PartyGate on Downing St in confinement, Brexit, the rising cost of living, inflation and government management.

The British did that reducing your costs on alcohol, meat, fish and energy bills to deal with the crisis, which was generated by the war in Ukraine and inflation.

rate increase

The Bank of England raised its base interest rate by 1 per cent, the highest in 13 years. one is expected recession at the end of the year Y 10 percent inflation. Home mortgage payments in a country by homeowners like Great Britain “could double during that time,” according to the IMF.

For conservatives it will be the first great test of public opinion from the Downing St scandal, where even Tories lawmakers themselves want Boris to leave with a vote of confidence and face the general election, which they don’t want to lose.

If there is a vote of confidence and Boris Johnson defeats it, the general election is not expected but a new party leader was elected and the Tories are still in government.

The counting of the votes will decide if Boris has an electoral advantage or an irresponsibility, facing the political future of his party.

And Working?

labor there are problems as well this midterm election. Its leader Sir Keir Starmer was accused of organizing a curry with beer for 30 people during the pandemic lockdown. Although he, who is one of the most expensive lawyers in Great Britain, defends himself by saying he is “a group activity in Durham. “

In these elections, they need to show if they can get more land in Scotland and if they can win again the “Red Wall” of northern Great Britain, solid working-class Labor, who lost and voted for Boris Johnson because of Brexit. A phenomenon before COVID, since 2018.

Liberal Democrats need to prove their party was resurrected as an electoral force.

There are at least 5,000 council benches in 197 councils across the kingdom, ready. The first declaration of winners or winners will not come until 3am (British time) and this is the first indication if Labor has had a good or bad night.

Sunderland, the great test

Like the night of the Brexit victory, Sunderland was the test city. It is under the control of Labor since 1973. Labor hopes it won’t go away. But the fear is that Conservatives and Liberal Democrats could thrive in the city that showed the kingdom, in 2016, won Brexit.

Bolton is another electoral example. It is controlled by the Conservatives in Greater Manchester and if Labor prevails that will indicate with a change of wind in Great Britain.

London

At 3 am British time, everyone’s eyes they are in london. There, the judgment of the voters in the government will be strongly felt. Since 1964, Westminster, where Downing St and the House of Commons and Lords are located, has been in the hands of the Conservatives. Here the temperature will be measured of British anger at the government.

At the same time one of the most interesting political phenomena is taking place in the area. Conservative candidates demand voters not to punish them for ‘mistakes made at Westminster’ in an attempt to break away from Boris Johnson, his parties and the Tory party. Many are running as “local conservatives” on the ballot to isolate themselves.

If the Conservatives lose Wandsworth, Margaret Thatcher’s territory, This is a symbolic rejection of the party.

Northern Ireland, important

The selection is critical in Northern Ireland, where Sinn Fein, catholic, republican party and political arm of the IRA, the Irish Republican Army guerrilla, in the religious civil war, was outlined for the first time as the first force of the formerly troubled province.

In Northern Ireland, voters vote 90 members of the Assembly created in the Good Friday Peace Agreement. He has the power to make laws for the province on health, education and the environment.

its members develop executive power who governs the province. It consists of representatives of the Protestant Unionist and Catholic Republican Nationalist parties, that is in the war for 32 years.

Since 1989, Unionism has controlled the province. It shows by now that they are the Protestants, the majority in the community. But this year that hegemony may be lost.

Sinn Fein’s Catholic Republicans could be the leading force in a crucial demographic battle for the province’s future. If the majority are Catholic, they could call a referendum to be part of an Ireland. So far, 27 percent are in favor of this option.

Polls show that the Conservatives are capable lose up to 800 seats. Other moderate strategists believe it will reach 200 to 300. But the problem, as always happens in local elections, abstention would be very high.

Paris, correspondent

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