Local Elections: Key Test Of Political Mood

By Adam Boulton, Political Editor

Local elections will be held today in England and Wales, with the contests set to provide a mid-term snapshot of the political mood.

The votes fall almost exactly two years before the next general election, due on May 7, 2015, and come three years into the coalition's term in power.

Close attention will be paid to the performance of the latest insurgent fourth party in English politics - the UK Independence Party (UKIP).

But the results will also be scrutinised carefully by the mainstream parties; Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats.

Almost all of the councils with elections - 34 out of 35 - are in England, and the Conservatives currently control 29 of those.

A similar picture emerges from the parliamentary map of the areas concerned, with the Tories accounting for 202 of the 253 local MPs.

The other council being elected is Anglesey.

The vote is happening a year later than the rest of Wales because the Welsh Government sent in appointed commissioners to run local affairs after a series of scandals involving the old council.

The last time the English council seats were contested was 2009, when the political scene was very different.

At the time, Gordon Brown's Labour government was unpopular and both David Cameron and Nick Clegg were riding high.

The Conservatives therefore have to defend strong performances and the party is braced for significant losses.

Ahead of today's votes, the Tories hold 1452 of the total 2392 council seats in contention, the Liberal Democrats 481 and Labour just 245.

Local issues will dominate in many of the council battles but the parties have also campaigned strongly at national level, where the main issue has been the economy.

Only six of the 35 councils, and the South Shields by-election, will see votes counted overnight, meaning most of the results will not come in until Friday afternoon.

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