Why you should care about local elections more than you might think
- Published
The council elections won't decide the future of the country and they won't change Britain's relationship with the world.
But they are your chance to vent about things like pot holes in the road and dog mess on the pavement.
You also have a say on how public money is spent.
With so much attention focused on June's EU referendum, it's easy to forget elections are being held in 124 councils across England on 5 May.
This our quick guide to why they matter.
Your council tax bill
The clue is in the name but your monthly payment is collected by your local council who also have a say in how much you're charged.
The government in Westminster can encourage councils to freeze rates but ultimately it's your local council that decides the size of your bill.
In March council tax bills went up in almost every part of England with an average increase of £46 per year.
Councils spend a lot of your money
The money spent by local government works out as nearly 25% of all public spending in the UK and the decisions on how that money is spent is influenced by the results of local elections.
Most of the cash goes towards things like education, social services and the police.
Spending on social housing and libraries in your area also comes from local government.
What do local councils do?
County councils, unitary authorities, London and metropolitan borough councils, (in big cities like Birmingham and Liverpool) run education services, transport, planning, fire and rescue services, libraries, social care, waste management and trading standards
District councils usually run services like: bin collections, recycling, council tax, housing, planning applications.
It's the little things...
You know those small things that bug you in life? The problems in your area that you make small talk about?
Well there's a good chance your local council can do something about it.
From the litter in your park to how often your bins get collected, it's the job of the council to sort these things out.
The ballot box on May 5th is the place where you can have your say on the quality of your local services.
It's a chance to send a message to country's top politicians
Whether he likes it or not many will view these election results as an early judgement on Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn
Want to send a message to the government? This is your chance.
Local council elections may not have a direct impact on the national parties at Westminster but you can bet they'll be watching the results with interest.
It's a year since since the Conservatives were re-elected to run the country and these results are the first indication about how support from voters may have changed in that time.
These elections are also a big test for Labour. Their new leader Jeremy Corbyn wants these results to be the start of his party's fightback in England.
If results don't go to plan expect him to face pressure from some Labour MPs who aren't happy with their current leader.
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