Amy Selman: May's local elections were not about local issues, Part 2 – We have to get to the heart of those local issues
In this second part of a series on local government, former Boris Johnson policy adviser Amy Selman argues that the 2026 local elections were dominated by national issues rather than local concerns, contributing to voter fatigue and low turnout. She uses Barnsley as a case study, where Reform UK gained 42 council seats and Labour lost 37, with turnout at just 37.25%. Selman highlights that Labour voters defected to the Greens (22%) and Liberal Democrats (16%), while 6% switched to Reform. She notes that Liberal Democrat wins nationally occurred only where turnout exceeded 60%. Selman calls for better campaign basics, targeted research, and vigilance to re-engage voters, emphasizing that local issues like council tax and recycling are being overshadowed by national politics.
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