With only nine days until the 2023 local elections the clock is ticking fast for parties and their candidates. What can Salford expect from next month’s local elections?
The month of May is already chock-full with the King’s Coronation, May bank holidays, Eurovision and of course Star Wars Day, but politicians will be hoping the force will be with the people as they take to the polls on the 4th in an election slated to be one of the most important yet.
This is no less true in Salford where change is in the air most notably in the tightly contested conservatives wards of Boothstown and Ellenbrook (55.2% Con. vote), Kersal and Broughton Park (56.4% Con. vote) and Worsley and Westwood Park (47.5% Con. vote).
Considering the current political climate the forecast shows a storm on the horizon for the Tories with blue seats predicted to turn red and yellow as widespread high pressure zones of discontent across the nation are building.
Conservative councillors Darren Ward, Ari Leitner and Robin Garrido may be at risk of being frozen out of council amongst a rapidly approaching blizzard.
Meanwhile, the majority of Salford’s 52 elected Labour Councillors will be able to enjoy the sun in what will likely be a red heatwave across Salford as current conservative voters most likely to start the progression across the spectrum first stopping off at the Lib Dems on the way.
Beyond the big three, a smattering of environmentalism may arise as the Green Party look to continue their growth, fielding 20 candidates across 19 wards, offering a left wing alternative to an inwardly confused Labour Party while different enough to draw in votes from the outwardly chaotic Conservative Party.
Finally in the eye of this political storm lies pockets of outliers as eclectic as the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, the Women’s Equality Party and Britain First – Housing For Locals.
Therefore the general outlook for Salford is likely to look mostly red with a tiny scattering of blue or yellow in the odd ward.
However local elections do not only decide the makeup of local council, but also provide themselves as a useful barometer of the nation’s opinion on the largest parties and how the electorate may vote in a general election.
In the case of the 2023 local elections this is an extremely pertinent time with a general election only slated for a year away.
The current Labour constituencies of Salford and Eccles and Worsley and Eccles South will certainly be under no threat with the way the conservatives are plummeting in opinion polls, however for the first time since May 2010 these seats could contribute to a Labour government in power.
The UK has seen eight Conservative governments over the last 13 years, but this may now change if Labour manage to hold it together and run a successful campaign allowing Salford MP’s to be part of the bill making process in parliament on their terms.
Local elections across the nation will give an indication of just how big a majority the Labour Party could come to hold in parliament, however it must be marked with an asterisk that London and Wales, two places where Labour does well, will not be voting. Mix this with independents and predictions for a general elections may be slightly skewed.
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