British voters cast ballots on Thursday in local and regional elections across the United Kingdom that are widely seen as a verdict on Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s leadership and a major test for his Labour Party. The elections include contests for nearly 5,000 council seats in England, as well as votes for the parliaments in Scotland and Wales. Polls open in the morning and close at night, with some local authorities counting ballots overnight and many results expected on Friday. While election campaigns often focus on day-to-day local services, multiple outlets describe the vote as being treated by opponents and voters as a referendum on Starmer following plummeting popularity and previous political missteps. Several reports say Labour is bracing for significant losses, which could intensify internal pressure from MPs if the defeats are large. Coverage also highlights the broader impact on UK politics, with commentators noting gains for populist parties, including hard-right support, potentially affecting how the governing party relates to emerging political forces. With the bulk of results not final yet at the time of reporting, expectations center on whether Labour’s losses will translate into renewed questions about Starmer’s ability to govern and his political future.